Twist of Reality
by Eboni Black
Summary: Kagome is attacked during battle, and ends up in an awkward situation. Set in Feudal Japan, Sess/Kag. Het. Violence
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own. I don't profit from. Don't sure. Even if you did the most you'd get from me is a pencil or two…yay poor college students…

A/N This was an idea that popped into my head and I just couldn't let it go. Hopefully you enjoy. I've been lurking around here and reading stories and now I'm at that point where I'm willing to give it a shot.

Warnings: Violence, Mature, Lemons in the future (intense lemons) Sess/Kag pairing.

Enjoy!!!

~*~

The arrow with its purple tinted orb pierced the sky sailing towards its target. With a sharp ping the arrow was thrown off course, followed by a thud as the tip embedded itself into a tree.

"Damnit, Kagome. Stay out of this! I can take care of myself; I don't need your help!" Inuyasha screamed as he ran forward, as usual, and brandished his sword with unskillful movements.

The miko in question rolled her eyes at the petulant hanyou and, like always, chose to ignore his childish and self-centered behavior. Notching another arrow in her bow she pulled the string back, took aim, and fired another purple-hued shot at their enemy, Kagura. The arrow sailed true and embedded itself into the woman's side, and with a shriek of rage, was promptly ripped out by the angered demon.

"Kagome, maybe you should listen to your owner. He has a point. Back down or feel my wrath!" Kagura shouted back at the determined woman. Kagura smirked to herself as a plan was forming in her mind, it was low, and devious, but it would almost ensure victory for herself and Naraku. If she won his trust back she could buy more time in which to get her heart back and finally vanquish him.

"Kagura, leave her alone. Your fight is with me!" Inuyasha yelled, charging forward blindly brandishing the Tetsusaiga and with a furious battle cry swung the sword with all of his might.

The events that occurred after his vicious swing were too quick to be avoided, and too devastating to be believable. As the half-demon committed to his swing, Kagura made her move, dropping low on her feather she clutched Kagome by the throat and lifted herself back into the air, with the young miko dangling helplessly hundreds of feet off the ground.

"Inuyasha, sheath your sword or your wench dies." Staring at the helpless miko, Kagura smiled. "Do it now Inuyasha!"

"KAGOME! Put her down you filthy demon!" Inuyasha glared at the demon, trying to puzzle his way to a solution in which Kagome would not be harmed. "She's not a part of this Kagura. Leave her be!" Pointing the tip of his sword at her feather and the struggling girl in Kagura's grasp, he shook with rage at being bested.

"Poor choice of words, Inuyasha. But as you wish." Without a second thought, Kagura looked at the suffocating girl, and threw her aside, and after a few seconds, used her fan to send a gust towards the plummeting figure, causing her to be pushed further away from the fight.

"KAGOME! NOOOOO! Kagura you will pay." In his rage, Inuyasha forgot about the miko he was supposed to protect and threw all of his fury into attacking Kagura. _Of all the times for Miroku, Sango, AND Shippo to be busy elsewhere! Damnit!_ He thought to himself furiously.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Kagome's heart was racing as she saw the earth rushing up to meet her. She wildly looked around for something, anything, which could help her situation. She looked beneath her and saw that she was about to land in a dark wood. _Thank god, _she thought, _either I'll find a way to survive this, or I'll be impaled by a branch. _Grimacing to herself she studied the first tree she was going to hit, as she came closer to it, she tried to reach out to something to slow her fall.

Instead, her foot caught on a branch, pitching her headlong into the trunk of the tree. At the moment of impact, Kagome's world faded to black, as she continued to tumble through the trees toward the distant ground.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Walking aimlessly through the forest, Lord Sesshomaru was attuned to every shift in the environment around him. He knew when Rin would trip quietly over a rock, or when Jaken's breathing would change when he was deep in thought. He knew when the leaves would rustle in the distance due to wind, as opposed to rustling due to being disturbed from an outside entity. All this he knew, continued to know, and it was only because of this knowing did he hear a soft thud followed by a gasp, and then the snapping of branches off in the distance. Curious as to what would cause this, the great Lord turned himself towards the direction of the noise, wondering what could have caused such an odd sound.

"Jaken, stay here with Rin." Knowing that his servant needed no more direction, Lord Sesshomaru elegantly sprinted in the direction where the disturbance was made.

As here neared his destination, he slowed to take account of what was around him. He smelled the sap from the freshly broken branches, as well as the musky scent of newly disturbed soil. Above all these rose the smell of blood, human blood. Grimacing in disgust, the Lord turned to travel back to his ward's when a sound arose from behind him.

It was faint, no more than a whisper, but was still the unmistakable sound of immense pain. The Lord could be seen as cold and callous, but in no way was he cruel. If this being was not in shape to survive, the Lord would release them from their misery. Turning back around, he travelled the few steps and saw the object of his curiosity lying at the base of one of the large trees in awkward angles.

His eyes widened imperceptibly when he realized just who he was looking at. _The young miko from that's disgrace's group. How interesting…_Sesshomaru continued to ponder this as he moved closer to the feminine form lying on the ground.

Taking in her injuries he noticed that her arm was awkwardly bent, most likely broken, and a gash on her forehead was bleeding heavily. If not staunched the blood flowing from the human would attract other Youkai in the area. Besides those evident injuries, the young woman simply looked a little beat up, bruises were already starting to form on her arms and legs from the fall, and he imagined that similar marks would be upon her torso.

Standing there in a moment of indecision, the Lord wondered what his course of action should be. This was however taken out of his hands when he heard the loud shout of his servant, "Rin! Lord Sesshomaru said to stay put! If he wanted us to follow he would have requested us to do so!"

The Lord lowered his head to show his disappointment, not that his ward heeded this sign, as she took one look at the woman lying on the ground, "It's Lady Kagome! What happened to her Lord Sesshomaru?"

"Well she fell, evidently. Really Rin, when are you going to start being more observant!" Jaken yelled at the young girl as she rushed to the side of the still form.

"She's still alive. She's moving!" Rin sat up a little straighter as Kagome slowly regained consciousness.

Kagome groaned loudly, and bit back a hiss as she attempted to move her broken left arm. She struggled to sit up and was rewarded by another sharp pain resonating out of her abdomen. _Probably a broken rib or two…and a broken wrist….and I think a twisted ankle. _Kagome took inventory of her body as she shifted around and froze immediately when she fully registered the great demon standing in front of her.

"L-Lord Sesshomaru!" She watched as his steely gaze shifted to her and began to take in her condition now that she was awake. She had always thought the great demon to be beautiful, so it was a little disconcerting to have his direct gaze apprising her body. She shifted self-consciously wondering when he would stop staring at her.

Sesshomaru was having a very different issue going on within himself. He simply came to see what was going on, the difficulty was stemming from the fact that this girl, _human_ girl, has gained the attention of his beast. In response his beat had shoved itself into the forefront of the great Lord's mind…and it _wanted _her……


	2. Chapter 2

A/N Thank you to all of you who reviewed! It's been awhile since I've been active on this sight so it's exciting to know that I can still do this! I hope you all enjoy this next installment. I'll do my best to update as quickly as possible but you know how it goes…that thing called school likes to hang around and disrupt things. ^_^ Enjoy!

~*~*~*~*~

Kagome was trying desperately to stay calm. _Don't freak out, don't freak out, it's going to be okay, don't freak out, _she pleaded with herself, _it's going to be okay._ Trying to slow her racing heart she took deep breaths but careful not to inhale too deeply, for her ribs were still tender.

She stared, her gaze locked on to the golden eyes staring back at her. She watched as those same eyes narrowed and tinged red. _Oh my God, this is not happening, this is not happening. _She knew that the Lord of the Western Lands was her enemy, but she never thought she would be in a position for him to slaughter her, while defenseless and injured, without provocation.

Lord Sesshomaru was in a similar state of panic, although one could not see this for the great demon was too proud to show such reactions. Trying mentally to push his beast back, he couldn't help but take in her scent. Sweet like a cherry but refreshing like an apple all painted with the putrid smell of her fear. His beast relished in the odor, growling in approval in his mind, *I want her. She's mine. She's ours. No one else can have her!* The great Lord continued to fight himself, even when he unintentionally took a step towards the miko, causing her to cringe back in uncertainty.

The only thing that slammed down his iron resolve was his ward tugging on his pant leg, "Lord Sesshomaru, Rin wants to keep Lady Kagome. Can Rin keep her, my Lord?" Staring up at him with innocent brown eyes, devoid of any fear, the Lord was able to shove the animalistic part of him into the back of his mind, to be dealt with later.

"This human is not our concern, Rin." Glancing once more at the injured woman, he turned to travel farther into the woods, far enough to get the woman's alluring fragrance away from him.

"But Lord Sesshomaru, Lady Kagome is injured and not able to take care of herself. Can you not help her like you did Rin?" Seeing that she had the Lord's attention, the young girl continued, "Rin will take care of her, promise! You, my Lord, will have no more burden than usual!"

Jaken chose this moment to interject, "Rin, the Lord said no! You need to obey his wishes, if he decides he does not want this lowly human near him you need to respect that!" The small frog like demon waved his staff to prove his point.

After watching the interchange, Kagome found it would be a good moment to speak up, "Lord Sesshomaru, if I could travel with you for but a few days until I am healthy enough to progress back to the village, I would be very thankful and indebted to you, my Lord." She bit her lip in uncertainty, knowing that if the Lord chose to abandon her there, she wouldn't have very long before she would be forced to fight for her life from the other demons in the forest. Her miko blood was too powerful to not attract attention, and lying as she was, injured and weaponless, she didn't believe she had very much of a chance to succeed with her life intact.

After hearing her voice once more, his beast rose to the front of his mind with a ferocity that surprised him, *Heal her. Heal her and then have her. She will be ours! What better way to gain her trust than show her kindness. Then when she trusts us she will not object so much to being mated!* Growling low in his throat, the great Lord argued with his beast, _she is but a mere human. What good would come of mating her? Besides, she is already the property of that tainted half-breed. _The Lord wished he could say that he felt nothing for the human, but seeing as his beast embodied his emotions and instincts, it was difficult to decipher which emotions belonged to whom. His beast argued back, *she does not bear his mark! She is not his, and I don't smell the scent of any other.* Appealing to the Lord's tactical side, the beast continued, *It's just as well. If you mate the girl, you may have a chance of getting closer to the hanyou, and therefore ending his life before he can disgrace you further. The miko is also very gifted, and will be strong in battle.*

Knowing for the time that the fight was lost, the Lord acquiesced. "Very well Rin. But if she becomes a burden I will not hesitate to leave her behind, understood?" At the girl's nod, he turned his piercing gaze to the dazed miko, "Human, if you so much as step wrong to slow me down I will kill you, understood?"

Kagome swallowed heavily, and nodded her head. Awkwardly struggling to her feet, with the help of the Lord's young ward, the battered woman carefully picked her way through the foliage after the Lord. She looked down at the young girl smiling up at her, and couldn't help but feel a sense of hope that things would turn out alright. Besides, it wasn't like Inuyasha cared for her enough to come after her anyways. She was simply a shard detector to him, and with her gone, he would be free to roam and kill as much as he wished in his hunt for the Shikon no Tama.

Staring forward at the back of the demon in front of her she pondered to herself over his reaction to her presence. He seemed to be struggling with himself, and about to attack her. Then suddenly, it was as if she didn't exist. But when she spoke up again, his attention was riveted on her, and if she wasn't wrong, it felt like the Lord was ogling her. Shaking her head to rid such silly thoughts, she thought to herself, _He despises humans. All humans. There's no way that he was checking me out. No way that he could be even the slightest bit attracted to me. Wow girl, you must have hit your head harder than you thought. Thinking that HE could be interested in ME. _Smirking to herself, Kagome followed Rin through the dense trees, hoping it would turn out alright.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N In case ya'll didn't check out my profile. I'm going to put this on here. Seeing as weekends are really my only free time, that will probably be the only times that I can update. I'll try and work faster than that but hey…and girl's gotta pay the bills! Enjoy

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Stumbling over fallen trees and jagged rocks, Kagome struggled to keep up with the handsome Lord. _Big jerk, now he's just trying to make me look bad. _Sticking her tongue out at the white-haired demon behind his back, Kagome struggled forward, refusing to give in to the exhaustion that was threatening to claim her. Tucking her broken arm closer into her chest, she hobbled along, favoring her right leg while trying to keep her balance on the unsteady terrain.

"Lord Sesshomaru, where exactly are we going?" The young miko spoke quietly, not wishing to anger the Lord, but at the same time curious as to what direction they were headed.

After hearing no response for a few moments, the girl decided that he just wasn't going to answer when he replied simply, "To my palace." Blinking rapidly, she tried to register his answer, _to his palace? Why would he want to take me there? I thought he didn't let mere humans anywhere near his home._

"Lord Sesshomaru, if you don't mind me asking, why exactly are we going there? What is the purpose for travelling to your home?" Kagome inquired curiously.

"You, woman, ask far too many questions." Tilting his head upward in a superior manner, the Youkai continued, "if you must know, there's food and water at the palace as well as bandages and ointments. This will help you heal faster and better than if you were to simply wander around these woods until you found that heathen again." Glancing back at the injured woman, he thought to himself, _Yes, that's why I am taking her there. The faster she heals the sooner she leaves._

"Gomen, Lord Sesshomaru. You are very kind." Seeing the Lord stiffen in front of her, she quickly added, "I mean, how intelligent of you to know the fastest way to get me to leave you." _Idiot! What are you thinking?! You're practically insulting the guy! _Furious with herself, Kagome decided to simply keep her mouth shut for the rest of the journey and concentrate on not falling over.

Not seeing the small smile grace the demon's face, Kagome turned her head to look out into the woods surrounding them. Her face felt like it was on fire from blushing so furiously, _Silence is golden girl, remember that._

~*~*~*~*~Awhile Later~*~*~*~

Hearing a gasp followed by the heavy stumbling of feet, Lord Sesshomaru turned to look at the miko behind him. She was leaning heavily against one of the large trees surrounding them clutching her stomach and gasping in pain.

"Baka, why did you not take the time to treat yourself before beginning this journey?" Sesshomaru asked, more to himself than the girl.

Nonetheless, she responded, "I did not want to delay you further." Gasping for breath she clutched her aching ribs. She had stumbled over yet another fallen tree and lost her footing, which left her falling into a nearby tree to catch her balance. This exertion to stay upright had put undo force onto her aching middle causing immense pain. She had to stop and rest, she just didn't know how to ask the Lord for the brief respite.

Glaring at the girl, "Sit miko, you will not be able to travel further until your wounds are treated somewhat." Berating himself the Lord approached the girl, _What are you doing? This Sesshomaru should not be reduced to a mere healer for a human wench. _Regardless of his thoughts, however, he could not tame his beast, and could only feel regret for not seeing to her needs before setting off on their journey.

Collapsing to the ground, Kagome stared at the Lord who was approaching her. _What's he going to do to me? _Closing her eyes tightly, Kagome listened to the sound of ripping fabric.

"Take off your clothing, woman." The words were spoken softly but Kagome's eyes flew open as if they were shouted at her.

"W-what?"

"I will not repeat myself, wench." The Lord glared at the woman who was making him feel so weak. He had never felt such feelings towards another being, let alone a human. Rin was his ward, so he was bound to feel some affection as well as protectiveness, but even that did not compare to the fierce emotions he was feeling towards this woman.

"N-no. You pervert!" Kagome gasped after flinging the insult, "I'm sorry."

Smirking to himself, the Lord replied, "I do not wish to molest you, girl. But you must remove your clothing if you wish for me to treat your wounds. I cannot wrap your ribs properly while you are still completely clothed."

Blushing furiously, the girl stuttered a whispered, "Alright."

Taking a deep breath, Kagome lifted the hem of her top over her head, gritting her teeth through the pain in her middle. When the top was off, she partially shimmied out of her skirt. Now down to only her bra and panties, she looked up at the Lord.

Looking at the Miko in front of him, Sesshomaru felt a swell of emotions overtake him: possessiveness, protectiveness, lust. This overwhelming feeling caused a growl to be released from the demon as he reached forward and buried his clawed hand into the ebony mane of the girl before him.

"S-sesshomaru. What are you doing?"

~*~*~*~Please Review!~*~*~

FYI: The more reviews I get the faster I'll update. ^_^ Also….lemon? If so I need to find somewhere else to post this as well!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N OKAY GUYS! I have this set up on the adult fanfiction site now as well! I know there's going to be a lemon in this story, but due to the policies of I'm not comfortable posting it here. There will be an edited version on this site (ie. No lemon) and the full version will be on the other. It's under the same title, and when the time comes I will provide a link to the other story so you guys don't have to search like crazy for it. ^_^ m'kay….here's we go!

Oh…I almost forgot. Thank you to all of those that reviewed! I love you guys so much! It gives me warm fuzzy feelings every time I get a review from you! Don't be afraid to be constructive! I am an amateur writer and any suggestions on how to improve in any way are certainly helpful! Thanks

Enjoy!

~*~*~*~*~*~

"S-Sesshomaru. What are you doing?" Kagome breathlessly waited to see what the Lord would do. His clawed hand was twined in her hair tightly, but instead of frightening, it strangely excited her. Looking into the golden eyes that were looking intensely back at her, she held her breath.

After a moment it seemed like the Lord was able to gain some control and he loosened his fingers from her long hair. Taking a deep breath, the demon crouched down next to the woman and began to wrap the silken material that he had torn from his own clothing around her torso, starting from just under her breasts and ending just above her naval. Making sure the material was tight enough to support but not too tight as to cut off her air the Lord stood.

Making sure his voice was back under his control the Youkai spoke, "That should help you. We need to keep moving." The Lord grimaced as his voice came out with more of a husky timbre than he wished. He thought back to what was going through his mind a few moments before, how the only thoughts he could comprehend were the wants to kiss her and utterly ravish the injured girl before him.

Minutely shaking his head, he observed the woman as she attempted to regain her feet. A few moments before it happened, the Lord saw a large problem. The foot that the girl was favoring was resting on a moss-slicked root and as the girl slowly lifted herself, her foot slipped, pitching her forward. Straight into the demon Lord.

Instinctively wrapping his arm around the girl to steady her, the Lord was suddenly assaulted by the fresh scent of her. He had caught minor wafts from her, but having her _this_ close caused her to be the only thing he could smell. And to his beast, she smelled so _good_. Taking a moment to observe her, the Lord looked at her slightly bruised heart-shaped face. Taking in her tousled ebony mane and creamy pale skin, his eyes brushed over her slightly upturned nose, the slightly parted lips before gazing into the eyes that looked to be the color of dark chocolate. With his arm wrapped around her he could feel her slight form, as well as how her frame seemed to be almost too small. His beast gave a small growl, _has that worthless half-breed not been feeding her?_ That thought was quickly replaced by how amazing it felt to have her in her arms.

Growling softly at the girl, his arm moved once again to tangle his fingers into her hair. On her slight gasp he pulled her face upward too look at him, then lowered his mouth to gently graze hers. It was only a slight touch of lips on lips but the little taste drove his beast wild. Grasping her face a little more firmly he swooped in for another taste, this kiss was much less gentle but just as loving.

Kagome was bewildered. Here she was leaning against a demon that she had always held some measure of fear for, _kissing him!_ The first touch of his lips on hers was so light that she thought that she had imagined it. Then he had pulled back and released another grumble from within his chest that she could _feel._ When his lips met hers again she was ready this time.

This kiss was possessive and seeking dominance. She parted her lips slightly and the Lord's tongue surged forward to conquer her mouth. She brought hers forth to do battle with his before finally giving in and letting him take control. His arm moved from her hair to the small of her back to bring her closer to him.

When the slight pressure was exerted, Kagome's injuries surged forward, and with a gasp of pain she pulled back. The Lord stared at her for a moment before seeming to realize what he was doing. He abruptly released her and turned his back walking swiftly away in the direction where Rin and Jaken had continued. Not uttering a word he moved rapidly away from her.

Taking the hint, Kagome hastily pulled her skirt back on before replacing her shirt. Once this was complete she hobbled as quickly as she could in the direction the Lord had travelled, wondering what had just happened, and what exactly that meant for her immediate future.

~*~*~*~*~~*~*~A little while later~~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Jaken, take Rin to find something to eat for herself and miko." Looking at the toad like creature bowing enthusiastically at his feet Lord Sesshomaru strode towards one of the thicker trees in the clearing that he had found. Easing himself down to rest again the trunk of the large oak he looked at the Miko standing awkwardly in front of him.

Struck by the gracefulness of the demon in front her, Kagome shifted carefully from foot to foot, wondering if there was something special she should be doing at this moment. Gathering her courage she asked quietly, "Is there anything you require me to do, Sesshomaru, before we settle in for the night?"

Kagome was taken aback by the slight smirk that graced the Lord's elegant features. Studying him, Kagome took in his long silver locks surrounding an oval set face. Studying the marks on his skin, the crescent moon on his forehead and the stripes on his cheeks, she tried to avoid the lips that had kissed her so passionately earlier. Looking at him resting at the base of the tree she remembered how he had loomed over her as well as how her hands had discovered that under the silk of his clothing he was pure muscle, lithe but well defined.

Blushing furiously as her thoughts gravitated in the complete opposite direction of where she wanted them to go she stared at the ground as if it held the secrets of the universe. Staring intently at a twig as if it would speak if she stared hard enough, she was startled by the Youkai's reply, "Sit miko. Heal your wounds. That is all that you must do."

Nodding slightly she moved slowly towards a grassy and relatively flat area. Carefully arranging herself on the ground she tried to relax. She could almost feel the Lord's eyes boring holes into her skin as he stared at her, studying her, curiosity winning over the Lord's usually detached nature.

After a few moments of silence the Lord stated simply, "You are not of this world, miko." At the startled look from the girl he continued, "Your mannerisms are strange. Your clothing is much too different, and you are learned. You do not come from any villages near here, and your scent strangely disappears often."

Baffled by how observant the Lord was of her, Kagome didn't know how she should respond. The first thing she could think of saying was, "It is not something that you would understand." Looking sadly at her shoes Kagome wondered if she should tell the demon the truth. If she didn't he might abandon her here, leaving her to fend for herself against any demons that would attack her; either out of hunger or for the jewel shards she carried on her being at all times.

"I may understand more than you believe me to, miko. I am after all a Lord and have seen more in my long life than you have in your few short years." At the end of his sentence the Lord's tone took on almost a sad note.

Feeling a pang of sympathy for the Lord, Kagome decided to tell him about herself. If nothing else it would make Kagome feel better, knowing that someone other than her friends understood her situation. The only thing she felt awkward about was the fact that it should be Lord Sesshomaru who she felt comfortable confiding in. Ridding her head of such confusion she began her tale.

"You heard of how Inuyasha was pinned to the tree in Inuyasha's forest, yes?" At the Lord's slight nod she continued, "Did you know that he was pinned there by a miko that he was in love with? No? Her name was Kikyou. She and Inuyasha fell in love, while he was a half-demon and she was a miko protecting the Shikon no Tama."

"I am not interested in my brother and any wench he may have stupidly fallen for. I asked how you came to be in this world, miko." Staring at the girl with an annoyed expression on his face, he was surprised when she scolded him.

"I'm getting to that. If you'd wait a minute, you would understand why it's all connected." Waiting a few moments, the Lord finally nodded for her to continue her tale. "Thank you. Kikyou wanted Inuyasha to become human, while Inuyasha himself wished to be a full-blooded demon. Before they could take any action however, Naraku attacked them. You know how he can shift forms? Well he attacked Kikyou in the form of Inuyasha and in revenge Kikyou used the last of her strength to pin him to that tree with a sacred arrow. She died soon after from her injuries, they burned her body along with the jewel.

"I was born in the 21st century in Japan." At his confused expression, she clarified. "Uh…a few hundred years in the future, kinda. Anyways, one day I fell down the well in our shrine and I was attacked by a giant centipede demon who ripped the Shikon no Tama out of my body. I also freed Inuyasha from the tree. Soon later I found out that I am Kikyou's reincarnation, and the well is a connection through time between my world and here."

Gazing at the girl in front of him, the demon puzzled over the information that he had just been given. So THIS was why she looked so much like the miko who smelled of clay and death. However, before he could ask anymore questions he was interrupted.

"Lord Sesshomaru, we found some rabbits to eat!" Rin excitedly ran towards the pair, rabbits dangling from her tiny little hands. After placing them on the ground, Rin set about getting a fire started in order to cook the food. Jaken scurried around her while the demon watched them.

He glanced over to the miko and stated quietly, "Do not think that I am done questioning you. There is more for you to answer." Nodding once, the Lord gracefully rose to his feet and walked quietly into the forest to ponder over what he had just been told.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!! Tell me what you think, and where it should go from here. I'm open to any and all suggestions!!!!!!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Thank you so much to those of you that reviewed! I get so happy when I read them! Please keep it up! For awhile I kind of lost track of where I was going with this, and then an idea popped into my head. This is partially due to some of the suggestions that I received as well as remembering exactly where I wanted to go with this.

WARNING: There will be a lemon. Not in this chapter, and probably not in the next one, but soon. As I said before, I will not post the lemon version on the fanfiction, but I will post an edited version. The lemon version will be on adult fanfiction. Thank you for your cooperation.

Alright….here we go!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

*Naraku's Castle*

"You FOOL!" Naraku snarled at the wind sorceress. He had just discovered what had occurred in the latest battle against Inuyasha and his miko companion. "You know how valuable she is, Kagura. We cannot have her dying so suddenly, she is very important to our plans. Did you even think to follow and see where she landed, if she's even alive?"

Kagura cringed, knowing that she was due to suffer copious amounts of pain in the near future. Shaking her head at the hanyou, she gasped in pain as the evil demon squeezed her heart in his unforgiving hand.

"Worse yet," Naraku continued, "What if she falls into the hands of another demon. One who will protect her or harness her power, it makes no difference. This was not something we planned for Kagura. And you know how I dislike changing my plans." Glaring at the woman at his feet he grinned cruelly.

"You will find the miko, wench. And then you will make sure that she is brought back to Inuyasha in one piece. She must be present in order for this scheme to work, do you understand?" Kagura nodded silently, knowing that her pain was far from over.

A piercing cry rang throughout the dark castle, followed by a chuckle of enjoyment. Those who knew the master of this place stayed far away until long after the womanly cries ceased.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~

*Inuyasha*

"What were you thinking you moron?!" Sango hit the hanyou on the head with as much force as she could muster. Visibly fuming, the demon slayer could barely contain her rage. Her best friend had been lost in a battle and the damn hanyou didn't even _think_ to go looking for her, to see if she was badly injured or worse.

"Sheesh, I already said that I was sorry. Can you stop hitting me so we can go look for Kagome?" Inuyasha stood with his back to the group, not wanting to show the slight blush he was sporting from his shameful actions.

"Sango, Inuyasha is right, we must hurry in the direction that Inuyasha saw her go. We need to get to her as fast as possible. She has the jewel shards, and if she's injured at all, the call of her blood will be too strong for the Youkai of this forest to resist." Miroku calmly began walking in the direction that Inuyasha had indicated previously, the direction where Kagura had thrown the unsuspecting Kagome.

"Don't think this is settled, you….you….MORON!" Shippo was just as upset as Sango, only he had no means for expressing his anger. He was but a little pup, compared to the bigger half-demon who would surely take pleasure in beating him up if given the reason. Tilting his nose in the air, Shippo walked purposefully passed Inuyasha towards Miroku. Sango followed quickly after that with Kirara comfortably perched on her shoulder.

Turning and seeing that the group had left without him, Inuyasha hurried to catch up, "Hey! Wait for me! I'm the one with the sense of smell!"

~*~*~*~*~*~

*Kagome*

_I wonder what other questions he wants to ask me,_ Kagome thought to herself. She was helping Rin prepare the rabbits that she had brought back from her quest for food. Kagome was slightly excited at the prospect of freshly cooked meat. Whenever she returned from her time she was forced to bring non-perishable items such as ramen. They never had time to hunt for food, so her diet was sorely lacking in freshness.

Watching Rin skin the other rabbit, Kagome mimicked her movements trying to get as little blood as possible on the fur. Rin had told her that the fur of these creatures could be used to make the clothing that they would need when they travelled through the colder areas of the land.

Placing the carcasses on a spit to dangle over the fire that they had made, Kagome sat back and was once more distracted by her thoughts. _Why is he so curious about me anyways? It's not like I'm anything special. I'm just a lowly human to him. _This particular thought kept bringing her back to the scene a few hours earlier, when he had kissed her as if the world didn't exist around them.

This led her into thoughts about what could have happened if her gasp of pain hadn't stopped him. How once he was done kissing her his hand would start to wander, caress-

"You seem distressed, miko." Sesshomaru's voice startled her out of her fantasizing. Looking over her shoulder at him she blushed furiously, wondering if he could read minds. _And where the hell did he come from? I didn't hear him at all!_ She thought to herself, wondering if her face was going to explode from embarrassment.

"N-no, Sesshomaru. I was just thinking." Trying to calm her breathing, Kagome pasted on a wide smile, "have you come to join us for dinner?"

The Lord shook his head, "I do not eat cooked meat."

Realizing that he would say no more on the subject, Kagome shrugged and moved to pull the roasted rabbits off of the fire. _I wonder what he does eat. _Pondering for a moment, Kagome suddenly started to giggle quietly to herself. _I really hope it's not kibble that would be too awkward. _

"What is so funny, woman?"

Finally fed up with his inadvertent insults, Kagome said quietly, "If you wish to speak with me Sesshomaru, call me by my name. It is not woman, wench, or human. It is Kagome. If you feel the need to address me that will be the only title that I will answer to." Kagome then look toward the fire and realized how quiet her two other companions had become, probably holding their breath to see if the Lord would retaliate in an unpleasant way.

"Very well…Kagome." Sesshomaru said calmly. Internally he was fuming, his beast on the other hand was rejoicing. *Finally! A woman who is not afraid to speak her mind!* His beast loved the challenge of always being tested, relished in experiencing the unpredictable. Sesshomaru on the other hand, hated surprises. That this woman would stand up to him in such a manner was inexcusable, however, he could not bring himself to punish her. He wondered quietly if there was more behind his attraction to her than he realized. Most humans would be cold and decaying by now if they displayed the same kind of insubordinate behavior.

These thoughts led Sesshomaru to other musings that he still could not figure out. Why hadn't he noticed the girl before? He had seen her many times, but never in this sense. _It could be due to the fact that you were never alone with her. Your brother was always distracting you with his antics and foolish accusations. _He thought to himself. And then it hit him, and while the realization was a relief, it also filled his heart with dread.

The reason that it was so difficult for Youkai's to mate was because in order for a Youkai to find his or her mate, they had to smell or encounter their blood. Scent would tantalize and tease, sight would show attraction, but only the call of their blood could form the connection between them.

Before, Sesshomaru had never seen the girl get as much as a scrape. Whenever she was hurt, it was minor and not enough to call his attention to her. But with her extensive cuts and bruises when he saw her at the base of the tree, the call of her blood was too much to miss.

_Then that means…_Sesshomaru covertly glanced at the girl. _That she is my mate. How could this be? Impossible. This Sesshomaru would have no need for a human mate; she will never keep up let alone live long enough to do any good._

While the Lord was arguing with himself, his beast was ecstatic. *Finally you understand! She is ours. When she is well, we must claim her and protect her.*

The Lord was still in severe denial, but when the miko turned to him and gave him a slight smile, he knew in his heart that it was true. She was his mate, and for whatever reason the fates had destined her to be his. He also knew that to resist the call of his mate's blood would be futile, for the fates could be cruel. And if the mating was not heeded, they would torment him until he finally gave in anyways. He had seen it happen many times with the other Lords and lower demons.

Silently staring at the girl, he thought about what his next course of action should be. Finding that they should still journey to his palace, he leaned against a nearby tree and resolved himself to sleep. He would deal with this minor setback in the morning.

Whaddya think? Let me know! Have a good one, I'll see ya'll soon!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N Okay. Due to some suggestions, I finally have an end goal in sight for this. Also, I have had requests that the chapters be longer. I can definitely accommodate, however, this may mean that I don't update as frequently. I hope this is alright. I'm trying to keep up with school at the same time so I'm going to try as much as I can to keep up on this as well as everything else.

Here we go! Thank you all so much for reviewing.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

_Little hands peeled apart the silken folds of his robe, pressing gently against the enflamed skin underneath. Those same hands continued their journey, running up and down his chest, tracing every muscle and ridge while slowly pulling the clothing further and further off of his shoulders. _

_The Lord lay with his head tilted backward, thoroughly enjoying the attention being given to him. He let out a soft groan as little kisses were slowly rained upon his fiery skin. Lifting his arm he buried his clawed hand in the thick hair of the woman above him. The kisses moved upwards, raining down on his neck and jaw, tracing up to his ear. The mouth upon him nibbled his elfin ear gently, causing a low purr of contentment to fall from the Lord's lips. _

"_Sesshomaru…" A husky voice whispered in his ear before continuing its journey down him jaw line before reaching its destination. Kissing him softly once, twice, before pulling away causing the demon to lean upwards, seeking more of her taste. _

"_Sesshomaru…" Becoming impatient with this teasing the Lord gripped the hair in his hands more firmly and brought her mouth back to his in a kiss full of passion. Taking control over the kiss the Lord traced his tongue gently against the seam of the lips pressed against his own until they parted in invitation. Plunging his tongue into the delicate mouth of the woman he growled softly in pleasure, relishing the taste of the human wrapped around him. _

_Pulling back slowly the Lord opened his eyes and stared at the flushed face of the miko in front of him._

"_Kagome!"_

Jerking awake the Lord sat up quickly and took in his surroundings. The first thing he noticed was that the fire was no longer burning brightly, in its place were dully glowing embers, indicating that much time had passed since Sesshomaru had begun his rest. It was after a few moments that the Lord detected a foreign heat against his side and looking down quickly, he realized that the miko was pressed tightly against him. He looked down at the girl and noticed that she was snugly wrapped in the silky fur of his pelt which had wrapped itself securely around her.

He quietly took in the girl's features, peaceful in sleep, devoid of any worry or concern that the daylight hours brought to her beautiful face. He calmly reached his hand out and delicately ran his fingers through the tangled and thick mane of the girl, smoothing it down around her smooth features.

He sighed quietly to himself, _so it begins…_He had just experienced the first of probably many dreams he would endure until he finally took the woman to be his mate. They would only gain in intensity until the only thing he would be able to think about was the miko beside him and bedding her, claiming her for all to see.

He did not know how to broach this subject with the miko; she was already terrified of him. Smiling to himself he saw himself asking her to mate with him and what her reaction would be. She would probably stare at him as if he'd lost his mind and then promptly remind him that they were enemies. It sure brought new meaning to the phrase "All's fair in love and war."

This thought brought him to his more pressing concerns. If Kagura had meant to kill Kagome, she had not succeeded, and therefore would be looking for her to finish the job. But something in his instincts told him that it would not be that simple, for Naraku was more devious than any other demon he had encountered in his travels. Surely it would not be as simple as killing the miko; the half demon would not let such a peaceful death befall the human woman.

Glaring into the woods before him the Lord wondered when it had all become so complicated. It was supposed to be him, by himself, through his existence, travelling the world and defeating any Youkai that dared challenge him. He had picked up his wards, which was not that much different from being alone. They minded him and were easy to elude when he wished to be alone, but a _mate?_ That was a different story entirely.

When they mated, the woman would be able to see into his mind, know his thoughts and feelings. This weakness was not something that the Lord was accustomed to, yet he knew he had no choice but to accept it as his fate. He wondered idly if the fates were not cruel at all and had instead given him a human mate, in order for him to gain his pups, but not be stuck with a mate forever. However this thought was quickly replaced by the anguish that his beast howled at the thought of the woman being taken from him, even by death itself.

He had never heard of a mating between a human and Youkai before. Sure the other demons took humans as lovers, but never as mates. Every Youkai he had encountered previously had always had a full demon as their mate. He wondered if mating with a demon as powerful as he would prolong the woman's short life. Or if it would change her into a Youkai herself. That was a very interesting thought as he pondered how the two sides would battle inside the woman, purity versus the raging wild presented by a demon.

He was startled out of his thoughts by the girl slightly stirring beside him, "Sesshomaru." His name was said on but a small sigh, but the feeling that raged through him surprised the demon. A sudden feeling of contentment and happiness that this woman should dream of him in her sleep made the lord wonder if he was developing deeper feelings for the miko. _Curse this beast for its easy control over my emotions._

Many were surprised by how quickly Youkai fell in love with their mates, but it was inevitable. The demon inside each being knew who they would soon come to cherish and therefore wasted no time in developing its feelings, often before knowing anything essential about the being they would mate with.

Tilting his head back, Sesshomaru stopped fighting the feelings coursing through him and simply treasured the small comfortable moment that was being given to him. His tail tightened around the woman once more, to ensure her presence as well as her comfort and he relaxed into the soft ground under him. Wrapping his arm around the girl, he softly stroked her hair and comforted her through her sleep. Almost as if she sensed his comforting presence the girl snuggled closer, whispering his name once more she buried her face against his chest and settled once more into a deep slumber.

~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~

Kagome woke with a startled gasp, _what a dream! That was so intense._ Blushing furiously, she thought about the star of her midnight fantasy and the unspeakable things he was gladly doing to her pliant and willing body. Shaking her head, Kagome tried to still her heart. Never in her life had it beat so quickly against her ribs.

Trying to get her bearings, Kagome realized something important. Something that was not there when she went to sleep curled close to the fire the previous night. Wiggling her body slightly she saw that she was wrapped in something soft and furry….and _white?????_

Glancing upwards, Kagome saw the cool amber gaze staring down at her. Gulping, she thought quickly as to how she had ended up in this situation. She had gone to sleep next to the fire; how the hell had she ended up over here? _Way to go girl. One night and you're already signing your death warrant. He's probably thinking of fifteen different ways to kill you right now._

"S-Sesshomaru? I'm sor-" Her quick apology for their current state was cut short by the Lord swooping down and taking her mouth in a demanding kiss. Emotions that Kagome had never thought that she would feel rushed to the forefront of her mind, demanding attention.

Never in all the time she had spent in this era had she felt anything so…_strong. _Her feelings for Inuyasha were mere wisps of smoke compared to the full flame that seemed to be setting her insides ablaze with an emotion she did not know. Her musings were cut short however, when the demon demanded entrance to her mouth. Parting her lips she let her tongue slide out to duel with Sesshomaru's, playfully battling the Lord for control over the kiss.

After the slight growl from him, Kagome relinquished control and sighed pleasantly as the Lord tightened his hold on her and deepened the kiss. Reaching her arms up she gripped his shoulders tightly, pulling herself against his muscled frame. Unable to help herself she moaned as his hands slowly caressed her back.

Sesshomaru had not meant for this to happen, he had simply been waiting for the young woman to wake so he would not have to jar her out of what looked to be a pleasant dream. However when she awoke suddenly and looked up at him with eyes that held nothing but light and innocence, he couldn't resist another taste of her lips. He soon found however, that a small taste was not enough.

He slowly started to move himself, pressing the girl to her back against the ground before settling himself in a crouch half above her, all of his weight resting on his one arm that now pressed against the cool ground near her face. A deep rumble reverberated through his chest as he leaned down once more, claiming the miko's mouth with his own. He released her lips and trailed gentle nips and kisses along her jaw and down her neck. He reached the juncture between her neck and shoulder and lightly bit down, scraping his fangs across the delicate flesh. It all happened so suddenly then.

The girl writhing beneath him suddenly gave a cry and a pink-hued light engulfed their forms. The sheer power locked his muscles into place so he could not pull back from the rigid girl beneath him. His beast howled, wondering what was happening and why he couldn't move to protect his mate.

Kagome's body was rigid, the power flowing through her freely without any seeming intention to stop. When the Lord had nipped at her neck, something broke inside of her; the emotions that had simply bubbled against the surface of her skin suddenly broke free, the intensity of which almost blinding.

However she was not afraid, and after a moment she sensed the Lord above her relax as he too realized that they were not being attacked. The feelings flowing through the girl were peculiar and comforting at the same time. Her body was slowly ridded of it aches and injuries as her miko powers took hold and did what was natural, healing. At the same time though, she could feel a powerful presence tangling with her own, as if someone was suddenly meshed with her own soul. Staring at the Lord, Kagome asked a question with her eyes. His slight nod was her only indication that he was feeling this strangeness as well.

When the light subsided, and her power receded back into her body, the pair laid there for a moment longer, thinking on what had just occurred. "I see that you are powerful, Kagome." The Lord said simply, smirking at her slightly.

Unable to reply, the miko struggled to move out from under Sesshomaru, who still loomed above her form. As she moved, however, she took note of two things; one, the young girl that traveled with him and her guardian were staring at them in mixed phases of shock and disbelief. Two, instead of being one clawed hand stroking her form….there were two.

"S-Sesshomaru?" The girl turned her head to her right and then to her left, and upon seeing two clawed hands framing her face she continued, "What just happened?"

~*~*~*~*~~*

Kagura paused for a moment, looking at the bright orb of light only slightly dimmed by the woods. Smiling to herself, she wondered at her luck and how easy it would be to find the miko. Waving her fan behind her she sent her feather rocketing noiselessly towards where the pinkish orb had just disappeared.

_You will have no cause to create such pain within my being again, Naraku. One day, I will get my revenge. _

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Inuyasha halted suddenly, causing the sprinting kitsune behind him to stumble into the backs of his legs. He ignored the cry of protest and sniffed the air around him. He shook his head, trying to figure out what had just happened. One moment he couldn't smell anything but the dank woods around him, and then suddenly out of nowhere he caught the strong scent of Kagome and ….someone else. But just as quickly, her scent vanished, with no sense of direction as to where it had come from in the first place.

"What is it, Inuyasha?" Ignoring the monk's question, Inuyasha sprinted off in an arbitrary direction, hoping that sometime soon he would encounter Kagome and be able to make amends for his actions.

~*~*~*~*~

Okay…I tried, I tried…I really did to make it longer. And to idk…throw in some good old fluffy stuff between our favorite pair! I hope ya'll like it…please review!


	7. Chapter 7

A/N I don't have much to say this time around other than I hope you all are enjoying this so far. I know I'm enjoying writing it immensely and I hope to hear your thoughts and comments soon!

I still don't know when the lemon will appear. I keep working up to it and I suddenly get another idea….haha…but I know that there will be one!

Enjoy!

Quick Summary up to this point: Kagura attacked Kagome, and threw her into the trees. Sesshomaru found her and decided to take care of her. Sesshomaru realizes that Kagome is to be his mate. The end of the last chapter, Kagome's miko powers went a little haywire…..

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Staring at the demon above her, Kagome asked one more time, "Sesshomaru? What exactly just happened?"

Sesshomaru was torn, he wanted desperately to tell the miko exactly what was going and why her powers had just unleashed unexpectedly, however his desire to not scare her off outweighed his need to be honest. He decided that telling her half-truths would be the best course of action at this point in time.

"Your miko powers healed you…and me apparently." He stared down at her, watching the way she rolled her eyes at him.

"I know THAT. I'm not stupid. I'm saying…between you and me. What's happening here? Why does it feel like a part of me decided to jump into you? Why did my powers heal you? I thought they were supposed to repel any Youkai, not heal them." Staring up at him in confusion, Kagome resisted the urge to forget her questions and bury her fingers in his hair.

Any reply from the Lord was cut short as suddenly the demon was no longer sprawled on top of her. Blinking rapidly, Kagome tried to take in all that was going on. Sesshomaru was now standing protectively in front of her, releasing fierce growls in to forest. The wind had unnaturally picked up and Kagome felt a sinking feeling of dread enter her belly; Kagura was here.

Standing quickly behind the Lord, Kagome asked quietly, "Sesshomaru, I don't have my bow and arrows, I can't attack her with my power unless I have them."

The Lord glanced back at her and said, "Don't worry. I will deal with the demon woman." Angling himself to take her out of harm's way, he brought his eyes back to the dark woods before him, waiting patiently until his enemy presented herself. "Jaken, take Rin and Kagome, protect them while I deal with this. If any harm comes to either, it shall be your flesh that feels the retribution."

Jaken hobbled quickly to the miko, taking her hand in a surprisingly firm grasp before tugging her off to the side to stand next to Rin. He then placed himself between them and Lord Sesshomaru, being sure to track the forest in a manner very similar to the daiyoukai.

A low chuckle reached the miko's ears as Kagura slowly emerged from the darkness of the trees, "I see you have a guest, Lord Sesshomaru." Glancing at the girl behind the small demon, Kagura smirked. "I hate to cut the visit short, but I was ordered to take the miko back to Inuyasha."

The only reply that the wind sorceress received was a low snarl from the Youkai before her. Kagome quickly grabbed Rin and pulled her up into her arms, ready to move quickly in case the impending conflict moved beyond the Lord. Kagome felt a sudden urge to protect the little girl, but what confused her most was her sudden concern for Sesshomaru, so much so that Inuyasha's name didn't even faze her.

"You will not touch the girl, Kagura. She is mine to protect." Sesshomaru's voice had taken on a strange double timbre, one was the usual deep and slightly husky voice and the other was more of a growl sounding more like a barely restrained animal. Sesshomaru was struggling to tame his inner self, the thought of the demon taking Kagome from him sent his best into a fury which the Lord could barely contain enough to form a thought other than _kill, kill the demon._ Returning his attention to the sorceress he continued, "If Naraku wishes to take her, then he will have to consult me on that matter. I will not let you touch her."

Kagura felt a sudden uneasiness within her being, realizing it was her heart being squeezed by her master she no longer hesitated. Attacking with a fury, she whipped her fan quickly in the direction of the demon while simultaneously lunging towards the miko. Hoping that her attack was enough of a distraction she focused her attention on the girl with the child cradled protectively against her chest. As she reached to grab Kagome, however, her body was flung aside into one of the large trees that encircled the clearing.

After a moment, the pain of the impact caught up with Kagura. Crumpling to her knees, the sorceress clutched at her shoulder which was bleeding profusely from the wounds laden with the poison that only Sesshomaru could wield.

Bringing herself once more to her feet she screeched at the demon lord, "What is she to you, Lord Sesshomaru, but a mere weak human who can do nothing more than stand and watch?" She spat the words out, venom dripping with each syllable. Seeing that she would get no response from the Lord, the wind sorceress attacked again with a fury borderline insane.

Swinging her fan wildly, she released blades of wind to attack the group in front of her, hoping to injure someone so that she could reach her goal. When the dust cleared however, her hope was not heeded for there should Sesshomaru looking unruffled while calmly holding Tokijin in front of him. _That blasted sword warded off my attacks! What is it with these Inu's and their __**blasted**__ swords?! _Kagura thought furiously to herself.

Moving to strike once again she halted suddenly, "Enough, Kagura. Return. We will deal with this matter later. Presently it is out of our control." Glancing to her left she saw one of Naraku's puppets hovering above the ground wearing the fur covering and ape mask. "Now, Kagura."

Watching the puppet disappear from sight, Kagura brought herself to her full height, "This isn't over, Lord Sesshomaru. Not by a long shot." Tossing her feather into the air, she quickly mounted it and floated away from the proud demon.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Inuyasha growled furiously, seeing the form of Kagura atop her feather gliding away from the woods. He sniffed the air and still getting no sent of Kagome he sprinted in the direction of Kagura. Hoping that the wind sorceress would lead him to the girl he was so desperately searching for.

Ignoring the shouts of protest behind him, the hanyou picked up his speed. They would catch up eventually, and with any luck by then he would have Kagome securely back with him. _Just hang in there Kagome, I'm coming._

With that final thought, Inuyasha leapt among the trees after the floating figure above him….away from the woods.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Kagome settled Rin back on the ground though the girl still clutched at her leg refusing to relinquish her hold. She gazed down at the dark hair of the girl beside her and smiled, "its okay Rin. She's gone now." Prying the girl's tiny hands from her leg, she entwined her fingers with the child's smaller ones and with a gentle squeeze, approached the demon lord standing in front of her.

"Sesshomaru? Are you alright?" Wincing at the unexpected concern lacing her voice, Kagome stared at the Lord intently, searching for any sign of injury.

The Youkai snorted, "This Sesshomaru would not be harmed by such a weak incarnation of that blasted hanyou." He glanced back at the pair of humans behind him, and softening his gaze he asked, "Are you alright, Kagome?"

Blushing furiously at the way he said her name as well as how he was looking at her, Kagome nodded quickly, "I-I'm fine. A little curious as to why Kagura wanted to return me to Inuyasha, but otherwise fine."

Chuckling darkly, the Lord mused, "It seems that Naraku has another plot. Typical. Only a coward would spend his time plotting and hiding behind puppets instead of attacking his enemies head on." Shaking out his long white-silver hair, he continued, "We must get moving if we wish to reach my palace by nightfall. I do not wish to spend another night in the woods, especially with powers such as yours, miko."

Striding forward gracefully, the Lord listened as his soon-to-be mate and his ward followed. After a few moments he heard the startled shriek from Jaken followed by the scramble of feet. Assured that all of them were following, he picked up his pace and began the final part of the journey to the home of the Lord of the Western Lands.

~*~*~*~*~~*~

After a few hours of travelling, Kagome picked up Rin who was slowly falling asleep on her feet. Kagome asked Jaken if this was how it usually was and the frog like creature responded that usually they travelled with Ah-Un so the girl could just sleep on the dragon creature's back. But on this trip Sesshomaru let Ah-Un stay at the palace to relax.

Kagome cuddled the girl close to her chest feeling a surge of emotion towards her. Looking into the peaceful face of the child Kagome smiled slightly to herself, _she's just so cute! I could get used to this._ Stopping dead in her tracks, Kagome shook her head quickly. What was she thinking? Getting used to this would be she would be like a mother to the girl, meaning that she would have to stay with Sesshomaru. Surprisingly, that thought wasn't as strange and scary as she thought it would be…it almost sounded nice.

Noticing her pause, the Lord stopped, "Something wrong, Kagome?"

"No. Nothing." She responded quickly, too quickly. The Lord was sure to know that something was wrong with her; he was way too perceptive to let that slide.

Surprisingly, the Lord made no comment about her behavior and instead nodded his head and continued moving forward. _He's acting so strangely, _Kagome thought to herself, _I wonder what he's thinking. Better yet…what is up with him kissing me….TWICE?! _Shaking her head once more, the confused woman followed after the demon in question and decided to hold those specific thoughts for later.

Sesshomaru was in a similar situation within himself. He kept glancing back at the girl, watching the play of emotions across her face, watching the way her hair swirled when it was caught by a breeze. His favorite was when she picked up Rin and cuddled close, the look that lit up her face was the most beautiful sight he'd seen in his long life. It was contentment and compassion mixed with protectiveness. *She will make a good mother to our pups, no?* Quieting his beast, Sesshomaru wondered what she was thinking. When she responded so quickly to his inquiry he couldn't help but wonder what she was trying to hide.

_It is of no consequence, soon we will be at the manor and I can spend some time with her, explain what's going on. _When the girl had suddenly unleashed her powers on him earlier that day, he had wondered if it would be his death. Instead it had replaced his once lost arm, and on an instinctual level, recognized him as her mate. The only way he could describe it was that a piece of her soul, which was the source of her power, had joined with his. He'd never heard of an incident such as this before, but he was sure that that is what had happened. He knew this because he could feel the emotional unrest within the girl following him; he couldn't tell exactly what it was….yet. But he could sense that she was uncomfortable about something, the way her emotions kept swirling and shifting had him constantly curious as to what was running through her mind.

Soothing himself with the knowledge that once he was at his home he could discuss things with her, he pushed those thoughts out of his mind and went back to tracking the happenings in the forest. _Soon, my miko…soon._

~*~*~*~*~*~

Kagura arrived back at Naraku's castle, anxious and wondering what fate was about to befall her. What greeted her, however, was not what she had expected.

"Relax, Kagura. There's no need to fear." Naraku glanced her way. Sitting upon a mat lain out on the floor the half demon looked completely at ease. He was sitting with one leg bent with his arm perched upon the knee, his other leg outstretched before him. Wearing only a pair of baggy drawstring pants and his dark ebony hair flowing about him, the demon had a pensive look on his face, as if trying to seek the wonders of the world.

"Naraku. Why did you order me to stop attacking them?" Kagura stared at the demon in front of her. To anyone else he would seem attractive, to her, he was repulsive. Clutching her colorful green and red robes closer to herself, Kagura awaited his answer.

"With Sesshomaru there, you stood no chance. I saved your life. Besides…I have a better plan that before. Inuyasha will be a treat, but Sesshomaru as well? That will be the icing on the cake." Grinning wickedly, Naraku settled his piercing blue eyes on the wind sorceress. "I have another task for you."

~**~*~*~*~*~~*~*~~*~

Inuyasha stopped, panting and out of breath. Looking around him wildly, he tried to sort out a direction to travel. Alone in the forest, he had no one to talk to, to figure out where to go. He picked a direction and started sprinting.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Breaking through the last thicket of trees, Kagome gasped. Before her stood the palace of the Western Lands and it was…beautiful. Kagome couldn't even begin to count how many rooms probably existed in the place, but she did notice the vast amount of open land surrounding the castle. Gently sloping hills, as well as a glistening pond accented the entire seen. Looking at the building itself, Kagome could see that it held more windows than walls and from what she could see there were four wings.

"Welcome, Miko. To my home." Sesshomaru continued moving forward, seeing the demons that he employed as servants rushing out to greet him. He made a note to tell them not to scare the poor miko, for she was not used to being surrounded by so many demons at one time.

He had no reason to fear however, the miko was well able to take care of herself. As the demons approached the woman, she smiled at them in a friendly manner, and when they offered to take the girl from her she politely declined and said she would be alright with her small burden. Turning to the demons who had just reached his side, he waved them away, letting them know that he needed no assistance. Walking towards the entrance of his home he gave a small sigh of relief, even if the Lord was a wanderer, it was always nice to be someplace peaceful for awhile.

Entering the palace, Sesshomaru signaled for one of the servants to follow him. It was one of the more elderly female demons that he kept employed, she had been around since before he was born and was very loyal to his family, and therefore he felt no need to be rid of her. He was grateful for that now, for this same woman saw how his father had fallen for the human woman and he knew she would understand.

"Kyana, I need you to look after the girl, Kagome. Make sure she is comfortable. It could be an interesting few days." Looking at the elderly demon he saw that she understood what he was asking of her.

"Of course, m'lord. I will do my best to make sure the Lady gets settled in." The woman bowed slightly before gracefully walking over to the miko. Sesshomaru had a few pressing matters to attend to before he could talk to Kagome. Having faith that the older woman would take care of her, he moved toward the northernmost wing.

Kagome watched the older woman walking towards her. She had kind eyes and a few wrinkles indicating that she had led a good life. She was fairly short, but her presence more than made up for that. Her blue and silver kimono indicated that she was a servant, but Kagome could see that she held more power here than some of the others.

"Hello, Lady Kagome, my name is Kyana. I will be here to assist you in getting settled in and comfortable. If you'd follow me please, I will show you to your rooms." Turning in the opposite direction that the Lord had gone, Kyana walked to the southernmost wing in the palace with Kagome in tow.

Opening two sliding screen doors, Kyana led the way into the chambers where Kagome would be staying. Upon entering the room, Kagome gasped, it was beautiful! The draperies across the windows were sheer white with Sakura blossoms embroidered in random patterns across the fabric. This matched the comforter on the bed that was lying to one side of the room, placed in the middle of the wall. The bed was slightly propped off the ground with sheer white netting tastefully folded around it. There was an intricate rug of swirling pinks, whites, and purples on the floor underneath what look to be a miniature study area. There were two chairs, both plush and very comfortable looking, framing a low table with a candle resting in the middle. Off to the side of the chairs was a bookcase filled with works that Kagome was sure she had only heard of in her history classes. The walls were plain wood plating, but the overall effect was elegant while not being overly done. Kagome loved it.

Opposite the bed was another sliding screen which Kagome approached cautiously. Opening the screen Kagome let out another gasp. Before here was a bathing room, but it was nothing like what she had expected. Apparently, the palace was situated on some sort of hot spring, for the bathing house was a pool of heated water with slight waterfalls trickling from the stone surrounding the well. Carefully stepping down the stone stairs into the basin of the room Kagome look around in wonder. Peering carefully around the area she saw that there was another door leading to this room, but before she could ask Kyana led her back into her bedroom.

"That will be where you will bathe, Lady Kagome." Kyana then moved to another door next to the bookcase, "This is where you will prepare for the day." Entering this new room Kagome looked around, it was just as elegant with the same rugs and colors. On one side was a wardrobe, probably filled with expensive kimonos that she couldn't wait to look at, and the other side there was a low table with a stool in front of it. She saw the lack of a mirror and knew that servants would be helping her prepare for her day. She grimaced slightly; she didn't deserve all of this. All she needed was a small room where she could sleep and that would be enough.

Turning to Kyana, Kagome inquired, "Ma'am, this room is beautiful. But the Lord doesn't need to trouble himself by having me take such an elegant room."

Kyana smiled, "Call me Kyana, or Kya. And it's no trouble at all. You will understand in short time why you were given these rooms, Lady Kagome. For now though, I'll leave you to yourself. Would you like me to send for someone to take Lady Rin?" Looking down at the girl, Kagome shook her head no.

"If I call you Kya, then you must call me just Kagome." Smiling as the elderly woman nodded back at her, Kagome walked over to the large bed and settled Rin upon it. Kagome turned to ask another question, but the older demon was gone.

Shaking her head, Kagome tucked the child into the bed before looking around for something to do. Becoming restless, she decided that she should take a bath and wash all the sweat, grime, and dried blood that had been on her being since a few days prior.

Looking to make sure the girl was sound asleep; Kagome searched the rooms for something that she could use to wrap herself in to bathe. Seeing nothing, she shrugged, who was going to see her anyways?

Opening the screen and closing it behind her, Kagome walked the steps down to the pool of water. Sticking her toe in, she sighed at the warm temperature, and quickly submerged herself in the steaming pool. Resting back against one of the naturally created benches, she let her mind wander. Specifically, she day dreamed about golden eyes and the great demon Lord they belonged to.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Sesshomaru was quickly becoming bored with the menial problems that he was reading through. They were simply solved, and as soon as he could come into contact with the other demon Lord's all would be resolved.

Pushing away from the desk in front of him, he stood from the chair and stretched his tired muscles. He hadn't slept well the night before, he dreams plagued by the miko he was destined to spend his life with. He still couldn't figure out a way to tell her without scaring her off. He wasn't used to gently saying anything; he had always lived by the philosophy that bluntly stating something was better than beating around the bush. But he was afraid that adopting the same philosophy for this situation wouldn't go over well with the woman.

Walking out of the north wing where he conducts his duties as Lord of the land he swiftly walked to the southern wing where is bedroom was located. It was a very similar set up to the one Kagome was currently residing in, he knew. Only his was more green and earthy tones, and the bed was bigger. He smirked to himself at that, soon they would have use for that particular commodity.

Entering through the sliding screen door he decided it would be a good time to take a bath and cleanse himself of the long journey. He figured that the girl would be resting; her sudden burst of power this morning had to be exhausting.

Efficiently disrobing, he wondered what the woman's reaction would be if she found out that the other door in the bathing chamber connected to his rooms. Smirking slightly he opened the door leading to the hot spring and stopped dead in his tracks. There in the pool of steaming water was the miko, sound asleep against the rock surrounding the water, half submerged…and completely nude.

He couldn't help himself, he stared. He gazed at her longingly, watching the long dark waterfall of hair swirl around her in the water; her creamy skin glistening with droplets of water. He looked at her angelic face, dark lashes resting against slightly raised cheekbones and a delectable mouth that he knew tasted of honey. His gaze wandered lower, unable to help himself. He took in her graceful and slender neck that swept into delicate shoulders. Lower, and his sight grazed across her breasts, gently rounded that would provide a full handful when the time came for him to finally touch her. Dipping under the water her narrow waist flared out into rounded hip and a gently curved belly. He could see her long legs through the water, slightly muscled, that led up to a small thatch of hair at the apex. He licked his lips. _Delicious, _He kept gazing at her, unable to tear himself away.

Stepping into the water, Sesshomaru quietly made his way over to her. Waist deep in water, he reached her. Standing an arm's length away, he extended his clawed hand and gently traced her delicate cheek with his fingertips, smiling when she instinctually leaned into his touch. Crouching closer to her, he used his other hair to brush her bangs away from her face before settling his fingers into her hair. Slowly he eased forward and lightly brushed his lips against hers, pulling away he leaned in and did it again. Each time she leaned towards him, seeking his warmth and presence. Leaning forward once more, he kissed her forehead, and while pulling away, she woke up.

It was slow, her eyes fluttering open and looking around before settling on him. She blinked a few times before registering where she was, where _he _was, and that she was naked. She sat up quickly, staring at him in fright, wondering what was going to happen and why he was so close. She was having such a nice dream, involving the demon who now stood before her naked in all his glory and unabashed.

Her gazed travelled quickly down against her will and settled upon him, the part that was now swollen and angry looking. Averting her gaze quickly, she blushed and mumbled, "Lord Sesshomaru? What are you doing here? I'm sorry if I intruded where I should not have."

Chuckling softly, he leaned forward and grazed his mouth across her ear and whispered, "Do not fret, my Kagome. You are as welcome here as I am. I didn't mean to disturb your bath. Go, get ready and join me for dinner. We will discuss some…important matters then." Standing up the Lord submerged himself once under the water.

Kagome couldn't stop staring at the demon. His body was lithely muscled, but altogether very masculine. His broad shoulders and chest tapered to a narrow stomach and hips that were solid muscle. As he walked his thighs bunched and released creating a strange heat to surface in the young woman. Staring at his back she admired his muscles as well as the elegant fall of his silver looking hair. She couldn't stop blushing.

Submerging herself once more, she then quickly made her way to the side of the pool where the door leading to her chambers was. She pulled herself out of the water and the entire time she could feel the Lord's penetrating gaze upon her body.

She reached for the door and was stopped short by his parting statement, "I will say this, miko. If I catch you in a similar situation again, I will take you. I don't think I will be able to stop myself a second time." Glancing over at him, she watched as he entered his rooms and shut the door behind him.

Quickly pulling herself through her set of doors, she noted that Rin was gone. Probably back to her rooms to get a proper rest. Kagome thought about the Lord's parting statement and felt a strange heat unfurling in her belly. She didn't doubt his words, that wasn't the problem, the issue was that she felt…excited to know that those words were a promise. One she wholly looked forward to.

Smiling to herself, Kagome set about laying out a kimono of light purples and greens embroidered on white silk. Calling one of the servants to send for Kya, she waited patiently, wondering what dinner would be like. Sitting on the stool, she smiled as the elderly demon walked in and quickly set about making Kagome presentable for their meal.

Wow…that was long. I hope you guys enjoyed it! Review please!?!?!??!?!


	8. Chapter 8

Okay…this is a repost. I'm going to try and let this fly on here. The only reason I edited it to go on AFF was because I have heard stories about fics being removed due to lemons. I know the fic is rated mature for a reason but whatevs….okay..if it gets removed…I'll repost the edited stuff…k?

Here you go!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sesshomaru looked at ease seated on the cushions placed at one end of the small low table. Wearing his traditional white and red kimono he decided to forego his armor and relax. Quietly he wondered how he was going to approach such a delicate topic with the girl, especially if she had no knowledge of how demon's worked. Idly, he wondered if his hanyou brother had divulged any of the secrets about his demon half.

He stared at the plates laid out on the table, he had asked that the servants vacate this wing so that he and Kagome could have privacy to discuss these matters. He glanced up when he heard the soft patter of feet headed in his direction and he waited expectantly for the screen door to slide open. Once it did, Sesshomaru fought to keep his jaw from dropping.

He had seen Kagome in the indecent clothing of her time and had begrudgingly admitted that they made her look very desirable. However, seeing at her clothed in the kimono that he had ordered provided for her offered even more temptation. The silken white cloth had swirling designs of purple and green giving it a more feminine look; while the band about her waste cinched in the material to accent her breasts and hips while showing off her small waist.

Her hair was done up in a loosely coiffed bun, leaving tendrils of hair looking as smooth and soft as the silk she was wearing to float about her face and neck. He had never seen the girl look so…soft and delicate. Giving her a small smile he motion for her to kneel upon the cushion to his right. He watched her move to get adjusted and noticed the small peek of her bare toes from under the floor length cloth.

Waiting until she was situated, he gracefully removed the coverings to the platters set before them. On his there was a mostly raw slab of meat and other herbs that he knew the servants gave him firmly believing that he should still consume some vegetation, regardless of the fact that he only needed meat to sustain himself. Kagome's platter revealed a fully cooked arrangement of rabbit, accented with some more herbs that the other Youkai grew around the palace. Seeing her smile of appreciation, the Lord began to delicately pick at his meal, observing as the miko did the same with hers.

After a few moments, the Lord broke the comfortable silence, "Do you find your chambers to your liking, Kagome?"

She glanced up at him and blushed, averting her gaze, "Yes, thank you. I was not expecting such extravagance. All I really need is a bed and a place to bathe. You did not need to go out of your way to provide me with such elegance."

"This Sesshomaru will provide what he deems as fit, Kagome. If you like the rooms, that is all the thanks that I need." Falling once more into silence, the Lord thought hard upon how to start his explanations. "Kagome, what do you know of demons?"

Staring at him with a look of confusion plastered on her face, she replied, "They exist?"

Frowning at her tone of sarcasm, he elaborated, "What do you know about their lifestyles?"

Shaking her head, she replied, "Nothing other than the knowledge that a Youkai is an embodied version of an element of nature, either animal or natural."

Growling at the stupidity of his brother, the Lord took a moment to formulate his next question. "Have you ever heard of the mating rituals of Youkai?" At the shake of her head he continued, observing the pink blush that colored her cheeks at his words. "When a Youkai meets their chosen, or more correctly, when a Youkai scents their chosen one's blood, they find their mate. Youkai….mate for life."

"That's…er..nice. Why are you telling me this Sesshomaru? Why would you talk of mates with…." Kagome's eyes shot wide open as the full implications of this conversation appeared in her mind. "You mean…me? Are you saying that you're supposed to mate with me?"

"When I found you at the base of the tree, you were bleeding. My beast, my instincts, scented you and found you to be my mate." Sesshomaru stared at the girl, watching the play of emotions across her face, confusion, to realization, to denial.

"No! I can't mate with you! I love…Inuyasha." The words sounded hollow even to Kagome's ears. Thinking critically she realized that she didn't really love the hanyou, she cared for him deeply, but on some base instinctual level she had realized that she would never be able to step out of the shadow of Kikyou in his eyes. "Why me? I'm human. You hate humans."

Chuckling darkly, the Lord replied, "Do not worry miko. You are not the only one confused by the fate's choice. However, despite my initial feelings, I cannot help but feel…protective of you. And my instincts are telling me that you are more than just human, though I cannot discern what."

Shaking her head furiously, "No. I don't wish to mate with you. I barely know you!" At her words, Sesshomaru cursed the ability for the human mind to rule over baser emotions. He knew that she felt something for him, regardless of the fact that she couldn't describe how or why she had become attached. "I refuse."

Sighing inwardly the Lord stood to go. She needed time to think, but before he left the room he gave her one last piece of information. "Kagome, the dreams that you experienced are because of the fact that we are destined to be mates. They will only become more intense until they consume your every thought, even while you are awake. I am subject to these dreams as well, and while I will not force myself upon you, I cannot guarantee your safety here should you choose to fight this for long." Exiting the room, he left a stunned woman behind him.

With every step he took away from the room, his beast howled at him in anger for letting the subject drop so easily. He was arguing with himself when he entered his chambers, wishing there was a way to expel the very opinionated beast inside of him.

Quickly undressing, the Lord crawled onto the bed and situated himself under the coverings. Hopefully, come morning this whole ordeal would take a positive turn. He cautiously wondered how intense his dreams would be this night and resolved himself to be ready to reign himself in come morning.

Kagome sat paralyzed at the table, the food placed before her growing cold as she was too busy with her own thoughts to worry about eating. _He knows about my dreams? Is there no way to get out of this? _She was swirling these questions about her mind, not listening to what her heart was screaming at her.

"I could hear your thoughts across the grounds, Kagome." Kya startled the girl out of her thoughts with a visible jerk. "What is on your mind, milady? Maybe I can help." Kya observed the girl, knowing that she was confused and most of all refusing to admit that the Lord was her mate. She understood that it would be difficult for a human to accept the fact that fate played such a large role in their lives, but the sooner the girl could accept the faster both the daiyoukai and the miko would be happy and content.

"Come, Kagome. Let's go back to your chambers, you can tell me what's on your mind while I prepare you for bed." Kya smiled kindly at the girl, the crinkles about her eyes showing genuine compassion. Kagome nodded and smiled slightly back, she could use a kind friend to confide in. Even in the short time she was here she had forged a friendship with the elder demon, sensing the sincere kindness in her soul.

Standing, Kagome followed Kya back to the wing where her chambers resided. Entering her rooms Kagome sat on the stool near her wardrobe, letting Kya tend her hair and pick out a suitable night dress for her to sleep in. Kagome tentatively divulged her thoughts about mating with Lord Sesshomaru to the older woman, not wishing to hurt her feelings, but at the same time feeling trapped within the situation.

Kya smiled in understanding and said simply, "Milady, you're thinking much, much too hard. Calm your mind, and listen to what your heart is telling you." Brushing through the girl's raven locks, she quickly plaited the mass into a long braid and secured the end with a ribbon. Gesturing for the girl to stand, the demon quickly undressed the girl with efficient moves before sliding a thin lavender silk gown over her shoulders and securing the ribbon that wrapped around the middle. Kagome giggled a little to herself, for the garment reminded her greatly of the bathrobes she would wear at home whenever she would shower; it would be a new experience to sleep in one.

The demon proceeded the girl into the bed chamber and pulled back the covers. Kagome took the hint and climbed onto the futon situating herself before the demon pulled the sheets to cover the girl. Turning away from the bed, Kya blew out the candles that lit the room, and on her way out of the room she said once more, "Follow your heart, Kagome. It will lead you in the right direction."

The miko stared at the ceiling for what seemed an eternity before finally falling into a deep sleep, wondering what the next day would bring.

~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~

Sango, Miroku, and Shippo were wandering in random directions, silently cursing the half-demon that had taken off without allowing them to catch up. Worry ate at them, wondering what had become of their miko friend, as well as what could have become of Inuyasha in the time that they had been separated.

Settling around and dimly lit fire, they group remained silent, hoping against hope that they would find their friends alive and well soon.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Inuyasha cursed to himself colorfully; Kagura, the demon bitch, was leading him nowhere. He couldn't smell Kagome anywhere, and he was being led further and further away from the woods where he could have sworn the miko would have landed.

Trying to keep pace with the floating demon woman, Inuyasha could feel his muscles tiring. He would have to rest soon, but he didn't want to lose the wind sorceress. He didn't know when he would find her again, or if he would be able to find another trail to follow.

Resolving himself to not give up, he once more gazed at the feather above him and hoped his body would hold out long enough for him to find Kagome.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Lord Sesshomaru, great Lord of the Western Lands, whimpered in his sleep. His trim form writhed upon the bed, as if in great pain. His faced was scrunched in uncharacteristic emotion as he let out a low moan that turned into a growl.

Jerking upright in the dead of night, the Lord panted, his body covered in a thin layer of sweat. His eyes looked around the room quickly, a feral gleam appearing unnaturally in the golden orbs. Slowly, the Lord calmed himself, his breathing returning to normal and the wild glint slowly dimming back into the cool reserve usually exuded by the Youkai.

Rising from the futon, he paced his room silently, wondering what his options were. He couldn't take much more of this, already the thought of simply entering the miko's room and seducing her was sounding more and more viable. He had promised that he wouldn't force himself upon her, but he couldn't ensure that he wouldn't seduce her, and he most definitely did not want her to regret her actions when their rounds of fun were over. Growling to himself, he wondered over his possible courses of action; he could send her away. His beast growled viciously at that, there was no _way_ Kagome was going anywhere without him.

Leaning against the wall of his bed chamber, the Lord sighed in defeat. He would simply have to hope that his iron-clad control was strong enough against this form of temptation. He stilled as he heard a slight sound coming from the other side of the wall, curious as to what could be going on in the miko's room, the Lord entered the bathing chamber and quickly pressed his ear to the screen leading to Kagome's chambers.

The Lord had to try desperately to hold himself in check, his claws dug into the wood around the frame of the door, leaving deep angry looking gouges in the abused wood. On the other side of the door, Sesshomaru could make out the shifting form of Kagome, and he could clearly hear the whimpers and gasps that were spilling from her lips. Her dream must be as powerful as his, for he could only imagine what kind of pleasurable acts she was fantasizing about for those sounds to come forth.

Willing himself away from the door, the Lord knew that he would not be able to handle much more without there being severe consequences. Re-entering his chambers, the Lord tried desperately to think of something, _any_thing that he could do to take his mind off the beautiful woman on the other side of the wall.

Quickly dressing himself in a loose outfit of grays and blues very similar to his usual clothing, the Lord swiftly exited the south wing, intent upon reaching the middle of the manor where his training room was located. Entering the large flat area, the Lord began a series of exercises that he knew would challenge him, and with any luck would take his mind off of the girl he could only dream about.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~~

Kagome's eyes fluttered against the sunlight filtering in through the windows of her room. Her eyes opened slowly, orienting themselves to their surroundings. She sat up slowly, reflecting on the strong dreams she had once again experienced, she realized that the Lord was right, they would only grow in strength until she couldn't resist him.

She pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around them, resting her chin on her arms, Kagome sighed. She knew, deep within her soul, that this was meant to be, her mind was still rebelling, but then again it did so in most of the choices she made. Her heart had led her thus far in life, despite the protests of her thoughts, why should her heart steer her wrong now? Blushing furiously, Kagome wondered how she would approach the Lord. _Lord Sesshomaru? Yes, I would like to mate with you. Your place or mine? _Giggling quietly, Kagome couldn't imagine a similar situation occurring in her time. This brought a new thought forward, once mated, would that change her travelling through the well? Would he be able to come with her?

Deciding to deal with those problems later, she rose from the bed and set about preparing herself for the day. Before she could even think about it, Kya was there to assist her, picking out a kimono of light blue silk with darker blue trim. Kya once again brushed out her hair, removed the sleeping gown, and arranged the kimono around the girl's body. Wrapping the long dark hair up into two sticks, the demon quickly set about remaking the bed, replacing the candles around the room before escorting the young woman out of the room.

"Kya? Where is Sesshomaru?"

"He is in the training room, milady. He has been there since sometime last night." The demon replied, nodding slightly, directing her steps towards the wing where the Lord currently was. Nodding slightly, Kagome took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and resolved to herself that this was the right choice. It had to be the right choice, she could feel it in her soul.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sesshomaru could sense the miko's presence before he could smell her tantalizing scent or hear her feet shuffle forward into the room. Pausing in his exercises, the Lord took a deep breath to calm himself. Glistening slightly with perspiration, he turned to greet the girl who was standing awkwardly next to the door, as if she was unsure to whether she should be here or not.

Kagome stared at the Lord and gulped, he was the most beautiful creature that she had ever laid eyes on. His muscles bulged slightly which made something low in her stomach quiver slightly, and his intense golden eyes locked on hers, nearly making her melt. Glancing around the room, she noted the kimono top lying as if it was tossed upon the floor, she took in the rows of weaponry hanging upon the walls, before finally settling back upon the topless Lord. His pants hung loosely about his legs, legs that she knew were just as muscled as the rest of him, the cloth brushing the floor around his bare feet. For some reason, the fact that the Lord was barefoot seemed sexy to her.

Refocusing her thoughts, Kagome started hesitantly, "Sesshomaru, I wish to speak with you…about…uh…ahh.." Unable to form the words, Kagome looked at the Lord pleadingly, hoping he would get the message.

Squaring his shoulders, suddenly tense, the Lord asked quietly and as calmly as he could manage, "Are you accepting, Kagome?" At the girl's nod he was suddenly by her side, startling her, but he couldn't help himself, he was barely under control as it was. "There is no going back, miko. Once we do this you will be mine for the rest of time." At her nod, he was suddenly upon her.

His arms wound around her body, pulling her close while his mouth hungrily sought out hers. His lips devoured hers in hungry kisses with barely controlled need. Kagome arched against him, pressing herself more firmly against his body, seeking more contact, more of his mouth, just more. One of his hands wandered to her hair, quickly removing the sticks holding her bun in place, letting the mass tumble in thick black waves down her back. His other arm wrapped about her waist, pulling her up and against him so that only the tips of her toes grazed the ground.

The girl let out a low moan, and it took everything within him to not lose himself to the frenzy waiting to be unleashed inside of him. Setting her back down and away from him, he looked into her slightly confused eyes, "Not here. I don't want to take you like some kind of animal."

Nodding in understanding, she grasped his hand and started walking towards the screen door that would lead them to the hall. Finding this method to be too slow, the Lord took two steps, scooped the miko into his arms as if she were is blushing bride and quickly moved through the halls back to his bed chambers.

Setting her down on the wooden floor of his room, the Lord closed the sliding door behind him. Gazing at her, he walked forward, grabbing two sides of the cloth covering her body and pulled. The silk gave and tore off of her form, revealing her luscious curves to his hungry gaze.

"Mine. Forever." Grasping her face delicately, he leaned down and brushed a light kiss across her lips.

Needing to see more of him, Kagome's hands sought the tie that held his pants about his hips. Fumbling through layers of cloth, she gave a frustrated growl before the Lord quickly swatted her hands out of the way and loosened the tie, causing the cloth to pool at his feet. Gasping as the sight, Kagome devoured his form with her gaze, pausing to take in every crevice and sloping muscle and tendon.

The Lord couldn't take the way her hot gaze caused him to quiver and stepped to her, grasping her about the waist and pulling her towards the futon. Gently pushing her backwards, he laid her flat on her back across the dark green spread. _Beautiful…_was the only word he could think of while gazing down at her nude form.

Starting with his hands, he gently brushed his fingertips across her flushed skin; moving from her neck, across her shoulders, over her breasts, down her flat tummy, around her luscious thighs and back up. When she began writhing and calling out to him, he leaned forward, and retraced the path his hands had taken with his mouth, leaving little nips and kisses along the way. Soothing any hurt with his tongue, he retraced his path before he could take no more.

He captured one hot nipple between his teeth, suckling gently, causing her to arch against him, her hands weaving themselves into his silky hair. His right hand came up to play with her neglected breast, causing her to moan louder, tugging on his head lightly. His other hand continued its roaming, simply caressing her everywhere he could reach. After a moment, the Lord switched sides and continued his torment. He could smell her arousal, and he tried to keep himself in check, he could feel how innocent she was, and knew that the first time would be slightly painful. He wanted her to be as comfortable as possible, so that she would not come to fear him from this experience.

His mouth began a slow, circling descent across her belly, nipping and sucking, leaving marks that he soothed away with his tongue. Reaching lower, he passed her core, causing her to moan with need, as he came back up he heard her strangled whisper, "_Please_, Sesshomaru!"

Needing no more encouragement he zeroed in on her weeping mound, delving into the folds, licking and sucking like a starving man. He eased up and tongued her pearly nub, causing her to bow against him, her body drawn like the string of the bow she so regularly used. Travelling downward he found her honeyed center, twirling his tongue on the outside for a moment he quickly thrust inside, tasting the juices flowing from her.

Growling in approval, the rumbled ripped another moan from the girl. Listening to her mewls of pleasure only encouraged the Lord, he brought one of his hands down to flick and tease her clit while he fucked her with his tongue causing her to draw tighter against him. Feeling the tension within her virgin body, he knew she was close. He gently settled his clawed fingers around her bud and gently twirled it at the same time as his thrust his tongue quickly inside of her.

The way she shuddered and came apart in his arms was magnificent. Her cries grew to a crescendo as she unconsciously thrust against his mouth, her juices flowing from her clenching hole. Quickly grabbing her limp body he pushed her more fully onto the bed and climbed up with her. Kissing her fiercely, Kagome could taste herself upon him and moaned once more at the strange but not unpleasant sensation.

Prying her thighs apart, Sesshomaru settled himself on top of her, gentling his kisses, he whispered, "Kagome…" Seeing that he had her attention, "This is going to hurt at first." Seeing her nod slowly, he gave her a smile, "I promise, I'll be as quick as possible." Positioning himself at her entrance, he slowly eased the tip inside.

He grunted with the effort to stay still, to let her adjust to him. Kagome felt the penetration and closed her eyes tightly, her heart pounding. "Look at me, love." Opening her chocolate eyes she gazed up at him, her eyes locking with his warm amber ones. He pushed in a little further and felt a small resistance, "I love you, my miko." At her startled gaze, he seated himself to hilt, tearing through her maidenhead causing her to cry out at the pain.

He held perfectly still, waiting for her to adjust to his size. A small tear escaped from under her clenched eyelids, he leaned forward and tasted the salty liquid with his tongue. He placed tiny little kisses across her face, apologizing for the discomfort.

Suddenly she shifted, and he couldn't hold back anymore, pulling out until the tip was just inside he thrust back in, causing Kagome to moan and shudder beneath him. Repeating the motion he slowly fell into a rhythm that caused her to mewl and writhe.

Kagome could barely contain her sighs and moans and the Youkai moved in and out of her, the pleasure was so intense. Instinctually her hips began to rock in time against Sesshomaru's causing her to cry out in bliss when his pelvis rocked against her throbbing nub. Her arms gripped his biceps tightly as she watched his muscles bunch and then relax, and then suddenly the Lord changed his angle and hit something inside her that made her see stars. Throwing her head back, Kagome moaned loudly, giving herself over to the feelings coursing through her body.

The Lord worked at bringing her pleasure, hitting that certain spot repeatedly, picking up his pace. He saw that she was close again and brought his hand up and began circling her clit in time as his thrusts, and before long he felt her tighten around his member as she arched upwards, her head thrown back into the pillows about her. He kept up his thrusting until the last of her tremors ceased, smiling wickedly he withdrew from her, causing her eyes to pop open as she realized that he wasn't quite finished.

"Sesshomaru?" She gazed at him questioningly.

"Now, Kagome. I'm going to take you, and I will mark you. Then you will be mine…forever." Lifting her sweat glistened body he kissed her softly before rolling her over, pulling her up onto her knees. He wrapped one around her waist and with his other hand he guided himself to her entrance. Pushing himself back into her tight channel he let out a low groan as she mewled in pleasure.

Kagome braced herself as best she could on her shaky arm, holding herself off the bed. He started thrusting against her, drawing strangled gasps and moans that Kagome could barely register as hers. The delicious friction between them caused tingles to dance across her skin, making her squirm, unable to believe that already she could feel another wave of pleasure ready to swamp her. His thrusts quickened and suddenly he felt _larger_ inside of her, she moaned and pushed back against him. He started pounding into her, abandoning any control that he once had, low growls and groans being dragged from his throat as he let the pleasure of mating overtake him. He felt his knot slip into her tight passage and moaned deeply at the sensation.

He could feel the tingling begin at the base of his spine and knew it wouldn't be long before he climaxed, wanting to bring his mate to completion with him, he teased her nubbin with quick strokes, causing her to moan louder and buck against him. She tighten around him once more, this time bringing him over the edge with her as he shuddered and released himself deep inside of her womb. At the same time as his release he leaned forward and sank his fangs deep into the juncture between her neck and shoulder, lengthening the bliss following their orgasms. He felt his Youkai blood pulse with the knowledge that this was his mate, _his_ woman. He sensed it as a part of his soul blended with hers, just as a her blood in his system created a direct link between them.

After the tremors passed, he caught her before she could collapse, holding her tightly against him, he rolled to his side still embedded firmly within her. Licking the wound at her neck, he grinned as she shuddered from the intense sensation. Pulling the covers up to cover them both, he nuzzled her neck gently and muttered, "Mine. My miko."

She sighed softly and snuggled closer to him as they both fell into a restful sleep.

Sheesh…that was long. This was my first time writing a straight…er…het…lemon. So…any suggestions? Hope you enjoyed it!


	9. Chapter 9

A/N sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry!!!! Life happened…(ugh…two midterms and three projects) I promise..I'll whip this one out here and go from there!!!!

In case nobody got the memo………..the lemon version is up…..on both sites…^_^ so you don't have to go back and forth….be happy now, k?

Enjoy!

Summary: Kagome gets attacked during battle and ends up in an awkward situation with Sesshomaru. Little did they know, the fates had more in store for them than they realized….

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

_Kagura…now. _Hearing Naraku's voice in her mind, Kagura glanced back at the half-demon dog following her. Sharply turning her feather, she headed in a completely new direction, somewhat confusing the hanyou behind her.

"What is that witch up to now?" Muttering under his breath Inuyasha redoubled his efforts to catch up the wind sorceress.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Kagome blinked rapidly at the afternoon sun filtering in through the window. Turning, she felt a foreign warmth press against her stomach, glancing down she saw that it was an arm with delicate magenta stripes patterned over the wrist. Blushing furiously at the memories of earlier that morning, Kagome rolled to look at the demon resting peacefully behind her.

The beams of light rested on his face, making him look young and unguarded, so unlike the taiyoukai that Kagome was confronted with in the daylight hours. His lids were closed, exposing the stripe across it, which normally would have looked severe and instead looked soothing. Reaching her fingers out, she traced the tips across the two stripes decorating his chiseled cheekbones, and then the crescent moon upon his forehead.

She bit her lip as she felt the warm wave of some emotion rush through her as the great Lord leaned into her touch, sighing softly. Slowly tracing her fingers in arbitrary patterns she moved down his neck and across his shoulders, glancing up periodically to see if she had woken him. With every move of her fingers, she slowly exposed more and more of him to her hungry gaze, pulling the sheet down with her movements.

Once she had his chest exposed she let her eyes roam over his sculpted body, _He looks like one of those Greek gods they always teach us about in school. _Kagome flushed once more, remember how that body had moved above her, and inside of her, earlier that day. She felt like there should be some measure of remorse about what had transpired, after all, it was only two days ago that she still thought she was in love with Inuyasha, an unrequited love, but in love nonetheless. Feeling no such emotions, Kagome wondered how her seemingly lonely life had been replaced with this without her knowing and in such a short amount of time.

Pushing those thoughts to the back of her mind, she idly wondered how many wicked things she could discover with this man lying beside her. Decided that she really wanted to see how devious she could be, she resumed her efforts in throwing off the sheet covering them both, without waking the demon Lord.

Once he was fully nude to her gaze, she drank in the sight of him, licking her lips, she scooted closer. She started with his long graceful neck, placing delicate kisses in random patterns, licking gently over his pulse point. She felt a shudder flow through him and she glanced up quickly, trying to see if he was awake, seeing no change she resumed her activities. Slowly progressing her way down his body, she paid attention to his flat nipples, causing a sharp intake of breath from him followed by another quick glance at his face before continuing her journey. She watched as his muscles twitched gently as her fingers roved the hard plane of his abs, and how they tensed when she laved his navel with her tongue.

Placing another delicate kiss on his hip, she finally reached her goal. Staring down at the hard piece of flesh Kagome gave another swift look to the Lord's face before licking the head of his swollen member. She had never done this before, but had heard about it from some of her friends, she wanted to try it to see what it was like, but apprehension was rolling off of her in waves, what if she did something wrong?

Shaking her head, she decided that if the Lord didn't like it, he would tell her as much, and they would move on. Licking the tip gently again, she circled the base with her fingers, giving a few experimental strokes. It felt like steel encased in silk, the skin was so soft but the pulsing muscle underneath was hard. She swirled her tongue softly about the head before encasing the tip with her mouth, at this she heard a loud groan from above her followed by clawed fingers sinking themselves into her hair.

Pulling away, Kagome blushing furiously, "I'm sorry, Sesshomaru. I didn't mean to hurt you."

At his quiet chuckle she looked up and was surprised by the amount of heat she saw in those amber orbs, "Kagome, if you don't continue, this Sesshomaru will be very upset." A low wave of heat unfurled in her belly, hearing the husky timbre that his voice had taken on.

Nodding hesitantly she lowered her head once again engulfing the tip between her lips. Stroking the base once again with her fingers she slowly bobbed her head, and after hearing his groans of encouragement she fell into a rhythm, each time trying to take more into her mouth. She reached a point where he hit the back of her throat and she fought the urge to gag, he tugged her up gently, "Not so much. Like that is…incredible."

Taking as much into her mouth as she could, she pumped with her hand and suckled him gently. She listened to his pleasured moans and felt empowered that she could bring this strong demon to this just by her tongue and fingers. She listened as his voice took on a double timbre and shuddered at the barely restrained wildness that lurked within his pleasured voice.

He was writhing beneath her, the pleasure of her actions so great, he couldn't have stopped himself from groaning if his mouth had been sealed shut. As much as her mouth felt great upon him, his beast was calling for more, so he tugged gently on the hair that interlaced between his clawed fingers and pulled her up swiftly for a deep kiss.

She lay on top of him, her breasts pressed firmly against his toned chest, and her legs had fallen to either side of his slim hips. Hearing his pants in between kissing her senseless, Kagome had another idea. Pulling back from him slightly, she met his confused gaze and smiled wickedly, rearranging her legs so that they were bent slightly under her she positioned herself above him. Leaning back, she felt his stiff member probe her entrance and smiled once more at him, watching as his face took on a strained look. She stopped, not knowing what that look meant.

Lord Sesshomaru was desperate to be inside of her, seeing his woman poised above him, her warmth millimeters away from his aching flesh, it took all of his being to keep his head on straight. When she stopped, though, he could take no more. Thrusting his hips up swiftly, he entered the surprised miko, growling in pleasure as her surprised gasp turned into a long moan. Holding steady so that she could become accustomed to his size, for he knew she must be sore from earlier, he fisted his claws in the sheets around them, tearing ragged holes into the silk.

She rested above him, with his erection fully sheathed inside of her, she could barely think past the pleasure. _What was she supposed to be doing? Oh that's right. _Pulling up slightly, she settled back onto him, his member pulling in and out of her in time with her motions. She gazed down at his pleasure twisted features and felt another flood of heat at the sight he made, hands fisted in the sheets, eyes closed and groans escaping from his slightly parted lips. She watched as his hips flexed to thrust back up into her in time with her motions.

Leaning forward she placed a delicate kiss on his lips, never breaking her rhythm, and felt as his hands rushed into her hair, pulling her closer, his tongue invading her mouth demandingly, his hips picking up their rhythm, slamming into her tight warmth. Sesshomaru couldn't take much more of this, trailing one clawed down her sweat-glistened body, he circled her clit with one finger, causing her to stiffen and gasp.

"More…gods, more!" She shuddered as he circled her nub faster, and he gritted his teeth as he felt her convulse around him, not ready to give in to the release hovering just out of reach. She shook with the effort of holding herself up, lost in the waves of pleasure that had overtaken her body.

Rolling so that she was underneath him, he grinned at her surprised look, "I'm not done with you yet, mate." Thrusting himself into her with shallow strokes he relished in her pleading cries for more. Slowly picking up his pace, going deeper and harder with each stroke, he leaned down and licked the mark he had placed upon her neck, grinning wickedly at her shudder from the intense sensation.

He felt her getting close again, and he worked to hold himself back, wanting to see her come apart in his arms once again. She was moving her hips in time with his, working herself into a frenzy, moaning uncontrollably, grasping his arms with her blunt fingernails digging into his skin. He kissed her soundly as she came, swallowing her cries of bliss, following swiftly behind her. He released himself into her, his body drawn taught as the ecstasy took hold of him.

When he came down from his high, he looked into her sated face, smiling back at her and nuzzled her neck gently. Rolling so that she was once again on top, he rested, knowing that it would be awhile before his canine heritage would let him free of her body.

"Will that always happen?" Looking down at the raven head resting upon his chest he chuckled.

"Yes. It will always be that way."

She huffed, "I guess that means that quickies are out of the question." Shaking her head, she relaxed against his warm body.

A while later, Sesshomaru pulled free, "I think it would be wise for us to eat something." Looking down at his mate he smiled kindly, "I can hear your stomach protesting from here."

She blushed furiously and nodded, famished after that day's activities and the fact that she had foregone breakfast that morning. Lifting herself off of his bed, she made her way to the screen separating his chambers from the baths.

Glancing over her shoulder at him, "I'm going to wash quickly, you coming?" Without waiting for a reply, the miko entered the steamy room and gracefully submerged herself into the water. She was unsurprised as two strong arms wrapped themselves around her body as she resurfaced.

"Tease." She shuddered as his breath danced across the shell of her ear. "If you weren't so exhausted I could very well take advantage of you once more." Kissing the side of her neck, Sesshomaru began to slowly soothe the aches from her sore muscles. Rubbing in gentle circles, Kagome relaxed back into him letting all of her tensions wash away from her in the soothing heat.

They're peaceful time was not to last however, as one of the servants knocked on the screen leading to Sesshomaru's room urgently, "M'lord! M'lord! There is an intruder upon the grounds. It's Inuyasha, he says that he's here for the Mistress."

Growling to himself, Sesshomaru looked into the startled gaze of his mate, trying to gauge her reaction to this sudden news. "We have to go meet him, Sesshomaru. He at least deserves an explanation." Pulling away from his embrace, the miko quickly entered her given chambers, he heard as she scrambled to don one of the many kimonos in her wardrobe. Deciding he should follow her lead, he gracefully made his way to his rooms.

Once he was finished dressing, he met his mate in the hall connected, placing a protective arm around her, he quickly escorted her outside and used his youki to figure out where his half-brother was located before quickly bringing them several feet in front of the hanyou.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome smiled at him, but stayed where she was as the arm holding her had become restraining. Glaring up at her mate, she turned back to the hanyou, "It's good to see that you are unharmed."

"Kagome! What the hell are you doing with that bastard? Sesshomaru, let her go!" Before Kagome could respond, the wind shifted and Inuyasha was brought her and Sesshomaru's scent. "What the fuck Kagome?! What has this bastard done to you! I'll kill him!" Brandishing his sword, the Tetsusaiga grew to its full sized, and was aimed pointedly at this half brother.

"Half-breed, you have no place here. How dare you threaten me on my land?" Glaring at the hanyou, the Lord pushed his mate behind him, just in case his stupid half-brother decided to attack even though the miko was within range.

"Kagome. Get. Over. Here." The hanyou growled through clenched teeth, wondering why the girl hadn't immediately scrambled away from the taiyoukai when he had let her go. Instead of reasoning through the situation, he did was he was used to, and attacked without any thought to the consequences.

Seeing that her friend was about to attack her mate, Kagome did the first thing she could think of, "Sit boy!" Seeing Inuyasha slam face first into the hard ground below him, she grimaced in sympathy, wishing that he was a more level-headed creature.

"What the fuck, Kagome! What'd you do that for?" Picking himself up off the ground, Inuyasha was a little bit more wary of the situation. _What is she protecting him for?_

"Inuyasha…Sesshomaru is my mate." Quietly, Kagome turned her head away from the hanyou, afraid to see the look that might cross his face

~*~*~*~*~*~~*~

Okay…I'm really really really really really sorry this is so short…and so late. But I tried. Like I said before….life happened…and it took awhile to continue on….^_^ I hope you like! Please Review!


	10. Chapter 10

A/N Alright ya'll…this story is just about wrapped up. I only have a few more chapters to cruise through, we shall see how it goes, yeah? Thank you all so much for reviewing…your kind words give me bubbly feelings. ^_^

Here we go….!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Inuyasha…Sesshomaru is my mate."

The words hung in the air creating a tension that was almost palatable. Kagome stared at the ground near her feet, afraid to see the hurt and betrayal pasted on the hanyou's face. Her shoulders rose with tension as she heard him finally start to breathe again in short panting gasps. Still unable to look up, she tried her best not to feel guilty, it was the truth and she had followed what her heart was telling her, there was nothing wrong with that.

"But…Kagome. We… you…I…" It seemed like he couldn't figure out what he wanted to say first, unsure of the situation and this development that he had never seen coming. "When this was over…we were supposed to be together, Kagome. Why? Why him?"

He didn't wait for an answer however, as he strode forward purposefully and grabbed her kissing her fiercely. Kagome stiffened, unsure of what to do, this kiss was nothing like Sesshomaru's, it was hard and angry, not gentle and caring like that of her mate's. The time to react was taken out of her hands when her mate let out a vicious growl and tore the hanyou from her, his body slamming into a tree with enough force to fell the ancient oak.

Her mate's arms encircled her tightly and clutched her body to his tense form, looking up into the face of Sesshomaru she realized that he was not himself at this point. His eyes were a dark bloodshot red and the marks upon his face were ragged, no longer the smooth delicate markings of his heritage as they had once been. Vicious growls were consistently loosed from his chest, growls that sent shudders up and down the miko's spine.

"Mine! She is MINE! How DARE you touch her you filthy half-breed? Your life is forfeit for your transgression." As he moved to pull away from her Kagome reacted, she pulled her arms from her sides and wound them tightly around his toned waist, leaning into his embrace with all the strength she could muster.

She looked up into his face as his startled gaze met her own, "Please, Sesshomaru. Don't kill him. I know what he has just done is wrong and unforgivable, but we cannot defeat Naraku without him and even though he's an ass he's still my friend."

She waited, holding her breath, trying to see what he would do. His body was shaking with rage and she could tell that he was trying to get through to his inner self to calm it. Clutching him still tighter, "Please, Sesshomaru, please." Over the next few moments, his body slowly calmed, the tension draining from his form as he gazed at the crouching hanyou before him.

"Half-blood, you will not touch my mate in such a manner again. I will not be able to stop myself from tearing you to shreds. Do I make myself clear?" The words were bit out with venom dripping from each syllable.

Seeing that Inuyasha was going to protest, she intervened, "Inuyasha, don't. There's nothing here that is wrong. You chose Kikyou long ago, regardless of the fact that she is dead. When you look at me, all you see is her which is not fair to me because I am someone completely different. Sesshomaru and I are mated, by choice, and that is not going to change."

Inuyasha slouched forward at the end of her speech, defeat spreading through his body, "You love him don't you, Kagome?"

"I don't know what this feeling is, but I care for him deeply, yes." She gazed up at her mate and gave him one last squeeze before releasing him with a reassuring smile. Walking over to the slouched form of her friend she dropped to her knees before him so that she could meet his eyes. He was avidly avoiding looking at her, suddenly finding the outlying forest extremely interesting.

Smiling to herself, she looked at him before throwing her arms around him, catching him off guard, "you will always be like family to me, Inuyasha. How could I ever kick you out of my life? I love you, but as a brother, nothing more, nothing less." Feeling the hanyou sigh before winding his arms around her, she smiled and gave him one last squeeze. "Besides, this might be a good time for you and Sesshomaru to stop fighting and make amends." Hearing growls emitted from both parties in question she giggled, determined to make things right between them.

She pulled away from her friend and was on her way to walk back to her mate when it happened so suddenly. She heard vicious growls tear from the throats of the two men present in the clearing followed by a sharp pain in the back of her neck. She felt some sort of evil aura permeate her body, taking over causing her to fall to her knees and give out a cry of pain. The world started to spin around her as warm arms encircled her, a voice snarling something, an angry reply and…cackling. The world went dark around her and she fell limp into the arms holding her tightly.

Inuyasha glared at the puppet of Naraku floating above them with Kagura's form floating silently at his back. "What have you done to Kagome you bastard!"

Sesshomaru had no time to concentrate on what they were talking about as he could feel the pain Kagome was enduring, even in unconsciousness, through their mating bond. He gritted his teeth, thinking quickly about anyway to fix this. He could feel something embedded in her neck, as he gently pushed her hair to the side he hissed in displeasure. There, right over the ridge of her spine was a Shikon Jewel shard glowing with a dark aura. He moved his claws to remove it but stopped when he felt her body arch in pain, turning his head he glared at the hanyou in the ape costume.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Lord Sesshomaru." Naraku grinned, "If you try to remove the shard, I will only cause her more pain. Eventually, if you remain persistent, I will be forced to kill her."

"What do you want, hanyou?" Sesshomaru was barely containing his rage. No one hurt his mate! No one.

"Come to my castle to find out, Lord Sesshomaru. You're invited as well Inuyasha, make sure the monk, kitsune, and demon slayer are also present. I'm sure they wouldn't want to miss this for the world." His voice faded at the puppet disappeared slowly into thin air, the wind sorceress long gone.

"Damnit! Sesshomaru, get Kagome inside. I'm going to go look for the others, we have to get to Naraku's castle as quickly as possible!"

"I don't take orders from you, Inuyasha. Go, find your pack, I will take care of her until you return." Picking up Kagome's limp form, he gracefully reentered his home, his beast howling in agony the entire time for there was no way for him to help his mate.

He felt his brother's presence recede as he left in search of the others that had once travelled with his young mate. He sighed to himself, hopefully they would be ready for whatever Naraku had to throw at them this time. He clutched the body he was carrying closer, praying to whatever deity that would listen that this turned out alright, he had just found his future, he wasn't nearly ready to lose it.

~*~*~*~

I'm so sorry this is so freaking short. I promise the next chapters will be longer. I'm going to condense the last chapters into one because they flow a little bit better, this is just one of the awkward transition chapters, I'm sure you guys understand! Please review!!!!


	11. Chapter 11

A/N OK…sorry this took so long, I decided that I'm going to put the rest of this story into two more chapters….the last chapter will be a joint conclusion/epilogue….^_^

Enjoy!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sesshomaru's beast was going insane, his mate was in pain and there was nothing he could do to help. No cure to take it away and no method to release her even temporarily from her suffering. Through the connection that he had to his new and beautiful mate he could feel the terror that her dreams were causing her as she didn't know what was going on. He could only assume that Naraku was using the jewel embedded in the back of her neck to bring her horrifying images of death and destruction, his beast growled angrily at the thought of anyone else entering the mind of his mate but himself.

Kya was busy bustling around the palace, making sure to let every servant know to be wary of the demon Lord. His newly acquired mate was in pain, and he was helpless to stop it which was making him more irritable and more likely to take out his frustrations on an unsuspecting demon. She hurried to the room a ways down the hall from the Lord's and his mate's before knocking quickly and entering. Rin sat upon her small bed playing with the flowers that she had gathered from the garden the day before. She looked up at the kind servant and smiled brightly.

"Rin is playing with flowers!" The girl's emotions swiftly changed seeing the look on the elderly woman's face. "Is something wrong?"

Nodding, the demon woman rested herself against the edge of the bed, "Yes my child. Something is very wrong."

Sensing the demon woman's need to relate something important to her, Rin set aside the flowers. "It is Lady Kagome." The girl was far too bright for her young age, "Lady Kagome and Lord Sesshomaru are together, are they not? Rin heard the servants whispering about it earlier. Lady Kagome is to be Rin's new mommy!" The girl brightened with her last statement, excited to have a new parental figure in her life, and hopefully with any luck she would have a complete family again.

"Yes, my child. Lady Kagome is to be your mother, however she is in pain at this very moment." At the girl's horrified look she quickly continued. "But do not fear, Lord Sesshomaru is doing everything in his power to fix what has happened." _I truly hope that Lady Kagome pulls through this alive, for the sake of everyone involved. _

~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~

Inuyasha used his keen sense of smell to hunt for the demon slayer, monk, and kitsune. He had no time to waste, Kagome was in danger! His feelings of betrayal at the fact that she had mated with his brother were swiftly pushed aside by his desire and promise to protect her in this strange and scary world. He would not let her down now.

While he was running through the thick trees he thought back on this new development and couldn't find it in himself to be angry with her. In a way he had loved her, but he had known that she could never become more than Kikyou's reincarnation to him, it was just too painful to look into a face that was so similar to hers. As a brother, he could love Kagome with everything he had, but as anything more he would always pull back and distance himself. He was secretly glad, for now she couldn't leave this time and would stay with them until something bigger took them out of this world. His brother could love her in a way that Inuyasha himself could not, and for that he was happy for her, the fact that it was his brother still grated on his nerves, but he would come to deal with as she had become his best friend in the time that she had been here.

Catching a whiff of the group he was searching for, Inuyasha veered to the left and quickly entered a clearing where his comrades were quietly resting. Upon his entrance they quickly rose to their feet, calling out quick questions as to his whereabouts for the past few days.

Ignoring them he said simply, "Kagome is in danger. It's Naraku, come with me, quickly." Without argument the kitsune jumped up onto Sango's shoulders and both the demon slayer and Miroku climbed atop the fully transformed Kirara. Seeing that his group was ready to journey quickly, Inuyasha sprinted through the trees once again, his destination his brother's palace.

~*~*~*~*~*~~**~~

Sesshomaru cradled the girl in his arms reverently unable to let her go when she was in so much pain. He had curled himself upon her bed in her chambers with his back resting against the head board and his legs crossed in front of him. The miko was cradled like a child in his arms, her head resting at the juncture of his shoulder and next, completely limp.

He stroked her hair, hoping that his half-brother was hurrying in his journey and that it would not take long for them to reach the castle grounds. He did not know how much more waiting could be done before his beast sought to deal with the matter on its own. After confronting them on his palace grounds, the evil hanyou had weakened his barrier and Sesshomaru could smell his vile stench from here. Tightening his hold on the girl once more, he resolved himself to wait. He had a feeling that if he went into this battle on his own it would not turn out well. While Sesshomaru was a proud being, he was not stupid and knew when to rely on the help of others, especially now that his mate was involved.

Hearing a ruckus outside, Sesshomaru gently settled Kagome on the covers before exiting the room and swiftly moving through his palace to the entryway. Seeing his mate's ragtag group, he nodded his greeting and was quickly bombarded with questions about why Kagome was here and what he had done to her.

Growling low, the demon quickly silenced the beings standing before him, he answered all quickly, brooking no argument, "Kagome is now my mate. I found her in the woods, injured and brought her here. We both agreed to this arrangement so don't think that this Sesshomaruwould sink so low as to force this upon her. Naraku has embedded a jewel in the back of her neck and with every moment I can feel her fear and pain growing. We must act quickly before he completely taints her soul and she loses the fight against the battle in her mind."

Quickly returning to the miko's room, he gathered the unconscious girl in his arms. She was hot with fever and little beads of moisture could be seen upon her brow. Sesshomaru smirked, the only reason her body would be reacting this way would be because she was fighting whatever it was that had a hold of her. Proud that his mate could put up such a battle, even within the depths of her own mind, Sesshomaru exited the room with the girl in his grasp.

Barking a quick order for Kya to look after his young ward and ensure that the palace would run smoothly while he was away, he was quickly back with the strange group gathered outside. He looked at Inuyasha quickly and could tell that the hanyou smelled Naraku as well, good, there was less need for communication between the two that way.

Setting off in the direction they knew the evil creature to be residing, they set a brutal pace. It would not be long before they confronted him; Kagome just needed to keep fighting until they could figure out how to fix her. Looking down at the girl in his arms, Sesshomaru vowed he would see her safe, even if it took forever.

~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~

_*Kagome's Mind*_

_Where am I? Why does everything hurt so much? I thought dreams weren't supposed to hurt. Hearing a dark chuckle reverberate in the air around her, Kagome turned in slow circles, trying to pinpoint the being in her mind with her._

"_This is no dream, Miko." Naraku's voice whispered to her. "This is a place in your mind that I control. If I want you to hurt, you will feel pain. If I want you to die, you will die. If I want you to feel sorrow, I will present you with agony so great that you cannot bear it." _

_With his last statement, images flashed before her. Sango and Miroku, brutally slain and lying upon the ground while their blood pooled around their limp bodies. Shippou struggling to survive while his life force quickly exited his body, the small kitsune calling out for help in his last moment. Inuyasha fighting furiously while wounded to the point where most of his attacks were useless against his opponent. Each image was more gruesome and frightening than the last, the death and destruction so massive that Kagome couldn't wrap her mind around it. _

_She shook her head, "No! This isn't real. There's no way that you could kill all of them so quickly. Besides, Sesshomaru is with them. You can't kill them." She collapsed to her knees. __**He can't kill them, can he?**_

_She listened as the dark chuckle once again bounced around her, laughing at her pathetic attempts at denial, laughing as she questions, laughing as she wavered. "This would be too easy," Naraku grinned to himself as he observed the girl locked inside of her own mind. _

_He smirked, he wished to enjoy the girl's shrieks of pain while the group she was with travelled to his castle. Creating a new scene, where she was alone in a meadow, he waited until several demons entered. And closed his eyes while he heard her cries of pain, smiling, he listened to the symphony._

_~~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*_

"There it is." Sesshomaru halted, while the rest of the group brought themselves forward to view the castle surrounded by a dark aura. Looking to the beings around him, Sesshomaru wondered how this would end. His beast was unusually quiet, as if he were expecting something horrible to happen.

"This place has Naraku written all over it." The hanyou sniffed the air around him and growled, feeling the dark energy pulse.

"The aura here is definitely Naraku's. He must be inside. However, I do not sense his miasma; this is most definitely a trap." The monk looked around critically; he had a very bad feeling about this.

"It's not like we have a choice, Miroku. Kagome's life and soul depend on this, what else can we do?" Sango looked from the monk to the demon Lord she knew was carrying her friend, although she couldn't see her right now. She didn't want to lose her best friend, the one that had kept her going for so long, even after the deaths of her brother and village.

Shippou remained silent, his hackles raised as he sensed the danger around them. He wanted to know what he could do to help; but did not say as much for when the time came he would know what to do. Looking at the taiyoukai carrying the woman he thought of as a mother, he swore that he would protect her as much as he could, even if it meant his own death.

"Hn." Sesshomaru said no more as he quickly progressed forward, dawdling would not help his mate, regardless of the fact that he knew this was a trap. He would do anything to ensure his mate's safety, anything.

Entering the outer walls of the castle, they paused in the courtyard, unwilling to go any further. From here, Naraku would have to come to them. They didn't have to wait long before they heard his dark chuckle in front of them.

"Inuyasha, Sesshomaru, I see you've decided to come to my little party." The forms of Naraku's incarnations emerged from the shadows of the palace walls, Kagura and the others stood silently, waiting for their orders. Naraku's figure was the last to emerge, his aura surrounding him in an almost black glow; this was no puppet, for even the puppets couldn't convey the dark shadow that surrounded the real being.

The group said nothing, waiting for what was to happen next. They never could have expected where the attack was coming from however, as the miko that travelled with them suddenly sent out a giant wave of energy, locking them in place. Unable to move, they watched as the girl removed herself from Sesshomaru's arms.

She walked a few feet away and looked back at them; it was in this moment that they knew this was not of her doing. Her face was contorted, as if she was in great pain and struggling against what she was doing, but it was her eyes that gave the truth away, they were dead and lifeless, the normally vibrant chocolate orbs were dull and empty of life.

"Don't you see it now, Lord Sesshomaru? Since she is your mate I'm sure you can understand what I am talking about. She is the most powerful miko to exist in this world, and now she's under my control." Naraku looked around him and nodded his head at Kagura, who quickly brought the last member forward. Kikyou was shoved roughly to the ground at Kagura's feet, only a few meters away from the possessed miko. Kagome looked upon her ancestor with dull and lifeless eyes.

"My miko, however, is incomplete as part of her soul still resides within this being here." He tilted his chin towards the dead priestess who was looking at him warily, refusing to utter a word.

Kagome felt the power rise within her once more. She could see her friends, and feel their struggles against her, she could feel Inuyasha's sorrow at what he instinctually knew was about to happen, he could feel Sesshomaru's anger and not being able to break this hold and help her. She could sense Shippou's confusion and Sango and Miroku's frustration at not being able to even utter a word. She herself, felt sorrow for what was about to happen out of her control, this jewel shard pulsed and her energy surrounded the dead priestess who was calmly waiting on the ground.

It was as if Kikyou knew this was coming, when Kagome's miko powers wrapped around her, she felt nothing but acceptance and regret from the woman. In a few seconds, her powers ripped the final piece of her soul from the body made of dirt and clay and returned it back to the body that it was supposed to reside in. Kikyou's body felt forward before shattering and crumbling once against into pieces of clay and dirt to once again join the soil. Kagome felt her heart clench at Inuyasha's sorrow, at watching his love die once more and still being unable to stop it. The one thing she felt grateful for was that he did not resent Kagome herself for this event, he simply felt alone and desolate and furious with Naraku.

"Now that that is done, my miko can become one with me." Smirking, Naraku glanced at the furious faces starting back at him. "If I absorb her, her powers will be at my disposal to use as I wish. Also, with her gone I will no longer have to worry about the one being in this world that could kill me." Smirking at his ingenious, he sent one last command to the shard imbedded in the miko's neck.

Fighting the command with everything inside of her, Kagome shook with effort. Her body was shakily moving towards the evil hanyou and she could do nothing to stop it. She knew that her friends would not be able to save her this time, her powers had them so tightly bound that she knew if she struggled too much, Naraku would simply order her to kill them. Thinking quickly, she made a decision, one she hoped that no one would hate her for later.

Sesshomaru could feel the power licking against his skin, his youki rebelling against the purity that was surrounding him. However he couldn't bring himself to fight back, for fear of hurting his mate. He could feel her torrent of emotions from their connection as mates; he could feel it when she felt the guilt of killing the already dead miko, when she felt the sorrow of causing her friends pain. None of those emotions compared to the utter rage and helplessness when he felt her feelings change to acceptance and resolve. He had no idea what she was planning to do, but he rebelled against it with everything inside of him. His body struggled, though he didn't move, his mind screamed, though he stayed silent.

He watched as her body was quickly snatched by Naraku's tentacles and fought the urge to gag as she was quickly absorbed into his body. No trace of her could be seen any longer, and his beast called out in agony. His mate was dead and he stood by and watched. The power around them did not waver, so he was unable to attack the being that had caused this, the being that would soon die.

_Hold on girl!_ Kagome felt as she was slowly absorbed into this body and she held onto her mind as best she could. _Just a few more moments_. When she was fully absorbed into the demon's body she could feel his power slowly start to lick away at her skin in a slow burn. She felt her power waver as panic started to set in, resolving herself once more; she concentrated everything she had on the being that was slowly decomposing her. She felt the pain, but she refused to let him win, not this time, not ever. She felt as the jewel shards she carried on her person were taken from her and morphed into the already mostly complete jewel. _NOW!_

She used the last of her energy, and sent out a wave of pure miko light, engulfing herself and Naraku at once. The power was so great that she knew that she would not survive this, her energy was too powerful to contain at this point and her body just couldn't take it. But she got to feel the shock of the hanyou and the painful demise that he was suffering through along with her. Smiling one last time, she gave into the darkness that would take her into the afterlife.

Sesshomaru was staring at the hanyou, unable to figure out why the barrier that held them in place was not retreating or weakening in anyway. His mate had been absorbed and devoured by the demon and Sesshomaru's rage was immense. He fought furiously to keep his beast at bay for if his inner self were to come forward there would be no telling of the damage that could be done.

A sudden rush of power stilled the Youkai's struggles and as he glanced once more at Naraku, he smirked cruelly. The bright pinkish light was slowly beginning to emerge from the inside of the hanyou's being and from the shocked look on his face he had not been expecting such an outcome. Sesshomaru felt a rush of sorrow and pride at what his mate was doing in her final acts in this world. The barrier holding them finally dissipated and Sesshomaru hung his head, unable to look at the blank space that had only seconds before been inhabited by Naraku. The surge of power from his mate had taken her with it, leaving nothing but air and ash.

Turning from the scene, he ignored the cries of agony from his half-brother's group, too lost in his own pain to care what the others were feeling. As he was walking away he looked upon the ground and halted when he saw the dainty jewel that had been purified and flung from Naraku as he was demolished from the inside out. Picking up the harmless looking thing, he studied it and found it to be missing two final fragments. The hope that he didn't even know he had disappeared quickly, for he had been told many times the tale of the jewel and how once it was complete it could grant one wish to its holder. He knew that if the jewel had been complete he would not have hesitated to wish for his mate back, the one woman who had so quickly and unwittingly broken through his cool mask. His heart ached as he clutched the jewel tighter and began the journey to his home.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Please don't kill me. I would like to thank my wonderful beta for going over this chapter and proof reading it..even though he gave me hell the entire time. I hope you enjoyed it! Please review!


	12. Chapter 12

A/N Okay…so….there is a legitimate reason as to why it has taken me so long to update. I have a severe case of writer's block and everything I came up with until now was bad…..well…let's be honest it downright sucked. I finally had a breakthrough and wrote as much as I could before the writing wall slammed down again…I hope you enjoy! There will be one more chapter and the next chapter WILL…I repeat…WILL have a lemon in it…I will indicate the point at which the lemon starts as to give fair warning….

Enjoy!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Over the next few months he listened for any tales of Shikon jewel shards, but Sesshomaru was left disappointed. As time passed and his frustration grew he made the decision to leave Rin in the hands of his mate's mentor, Kaede. Unable to bear the presence of his ward who so resembled Kagome. During the even seeing her confused and crest fallen face as he walked away sent pangs of guilt through him, though he let no iota of emotion show through his cold mask.

It was this connection that led him back to Edo. He had an urge to visit Rin and see how she was fairing under Kaede's tutelage in the ways of healing; Sesshomaru had no idea if Rin had spiritual powers, for it was common for mikos to not exhibit such abilities until they reached puberty.

Bracing himself for the coming meeting he flared his aura, alerting the elderly miko to his presence in her village. Within moments he felt the answering flare to acknowledge his presence and he entered the village to hear the high pitched squeal of the girl he had saved years before.

The girl latched herself to the fabric covering his legs, shrieking her delight as his presence. He let a hand gently pat her hair causing her to look up at him, smiling widely. He hid his grimace at noticing the resemblance between her and Kagome, again. His heart panged, but it was not the girl's fault that the Kamis had been so cruel to him. He informed Kaede that he would only be staying briefly when he noticed the elderly woman exiting her quaint hut. She nodded as if sensing his pain while he was around the girl.

She then quickly informed him of Rin's progress in plant identification and healing. He was also informed that she showed great promise as a healer causing a surge of pride at her success. He spent most of the day, much to his chagrin, being shown different plants by an ever ecstatic Rin. It was far into the afternoon when he indicated that he would be taking his leave, as he was about to turn away he smelled it, the putrid scent of someone thought long dead.

His beast rose to the surface with a ferocity that surprised him, intent upon ripping the newcomer to shreds. It was only with his last vestiges of control that he brought himself back enough that he could see that it was not Naraku cresting the hill before them, but Kagura.

"What do you want, wench?" Sesshomaru growled out through clenched teeth, "I thought you perished along with your Lord and his other abominations. No matter, this Sesshomaru will rectify that shortly." Clenching his fist by his side, his attack was halted by her next statement.

"Naraku was not my Lord. I come here seeking a trade." Kagura noticed his tense posture and quickly continued, "I knew the miko would not let him win, she never does. I quickly excused myself before the others were purified. The jewel was incomplete even with this few shards the miko possessed. So I took the liberty of finding them."

"What makes you think I won't just kill you and take them, Kagura?" He growled menacingly, his beast unwilling to make the distinction between Naraku and this woman.

"I will give them to you Lord Sesshomaru, as long as you promise to let me live my life in peace I know you think that since I am Naraku's incarnation that I am his ally…this is false, I'm glad he's dead, for it ensures my freedom."

It was moments after her proposition was made that Inuyasha burst through the growth of the forest, Tetsusaiga drawn, murder in his eyes. Sesshomaru noticed that the hanyou was growling viciously, loud vibrations echoing loudly in the small area. As much as the Lord mimicked those feelings he had to stop the half-breed if he wished to keep this sudden answer to his problem.

"Little brother, calm yourself." When the hanyou only growled louder, the Lord leveled a glare at him that raised his hackles but eventually Inuyasha fell silent. "She has the remaining jewel shards. In payment we are to not harm her." Seeing the half-breed's eyes light up Sesshomaru knew he would face no problems with the hanyou.

After a few tense moments the wind sorceress relaxed and tossed her jewel shards to Sesshomaru who caught them deftly with one hand. The demoness then gave a little wave and a bow before taking to the air, intent upon living her new life free of Naraku and his shadow.

Sesshomaru took a deep breath and pulled the mostly completed jewel from the folds of his roves, placing the jewel in the same palm as the shards the Western Lord elf the power of the Shikon no Tama surge once again completely the shiny innocent-looking orb.

Looking at the sphere resting in his palm he felt honor-bound to ask the one question that could destroy all of his hope. Inuyasha had been searching for the jewel far longer than the Lord; therefore, the hanyou had rights to it in Sesshomaru's eyes.

"Inuyasha, if you wish for the return of your dead miko, this Sesshomaru will heed your desire." Sesshomaru refused o show his vulnerability about the answer and waiting for the reply.

Inuyasha sighed, "Kikyou has been gone from this world for a long time. Although she roamed, it was with Kagome's soul, not her own. Kagome embraced her death however I feel there is more for her to do here." Instinctively, Inuyasha knew that Sesshomaru had a lot riding on this answer, and while his heart yearned for his first love, he knew that her place was no longer in the world where he roamed. He did feel a need to bring Kagome back however, his need for her friendship and guidance was a pull that he could not ignore. "Bring Kagome back, Sesshomaru. She belongs here, with us."

The Western Lord was surprised by his half-brother's sudden insight and wisdom but did not wish to delve too deeply into the thoughts guiding the hanyou's words; such frivolities were for a later time. At this moment he gazed upon the jewel, wondering how one would go about making a wish for the powerful object to grant. Before he could ponder too long, the jewel recognized his desire, his wish, and his hope. The tiny orb hovered delicately above the center of the Lord's palm, emitting a light that was difficult to look at, but impossible to turn away from. In a quick burst of the energy, the jewel expelled a tremendous amount of light illuminating the small clearing before fading into nothingness. The jewel was gone, its purpose having been served. However, there was still no Kagome. The Lord gave a snort of derision; _nothing is ever simple with this trinket, is it?_ The hanyou was quick to express his dismay at the disappearance of the jewel, but still no sign of his miko friend.

"Inuyasha, I believe we must search for her." When the half-breed fell into silence the Lord continued, "For some reason, the jewel decided that we must find her. She is somewhere in this world, we must seek her out." Even as the solution sounded so simple, a flicker of trepidation implanted itself within the Lord's belly. He was curious as to what other turns the jewel would through at them before its reign was finally complete.

Turning to his ward and her keeper he spoke quickly, "I will come for Rin when I have found my mate." At the older woman's nod he addressed the girl that he now saw as his own pup, "Rin, I must find Kagome." He said no more, but from the girl's face and the look she gave him at his pleading tone, he knew she understood. His mate was in this world, he could feel it through their bond but such feelings gave no indication as to _where._ His beast was calling him with an urgency to have his mate in his arms once more.

Glancing at the hanyou and realizing that regardless of his preferences Inuyasha would be joining him, he gave a small nod before setting off in an arbitrary direction. The sunlight fading quickly behind him as he sought desperately for the one he loved.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into months. Months of searching for the one being that he could not live without and was forced to find through nothing more than a hope and a feeling. His beast insisted that she was of this world, but the more logical side of the Lord was entertaining thoughts about the different ways the jewel could have tricked him.

Inuyasha had abandoned the search, needing to return to his duties in the village with Sango and Miroku. He had left with an insistence that he would continue to search, and the moment either of them found her, they would send word. Shaking his head, Sesshomaru was ready to give up hope.

Maybe they had been too late and her soul had already become another's. Maybe the jewel had brought her back different; her soul was the same but was residing in the body of a creature that looked nothing like her. Maybe the jewel hadn't brought her back at all. The Lord had always held a measure of skepticism for mystical practices and magic, and now was no different. His beast insisted that she was here, but Sesshomaru was starting to believe differently.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Another month had passed and the Lord had stopped looking, sure that the jewel had tricked him in some way. His beast was constantly whining in his mind to keep searching and keep looking, but the Lord steadfastly ignored it. He had not returned for his ward, unable to bear the sudden loss of hope again. He would never find his mate, his love. He was doomed to live this life with false hope and an empty heart.

He was patrolling his lands when it happened. He had heard of some disturbances in a village near his border, not quite his territory but close enough for him to extend his protection should the inhabitants wish it. He was stepping through the village, grinning internally as all the humans stepped back in fear, unsure of his intentions in their tiny dwelling. He continued on his way, intent upon speaking to the leader of these people when he noticed that there was one who was not stepping away, not hiding, not cowering. She was wearing a traditional priestess outfit, white kimono shirt and red hakama indicating that she was the miko of the village. But it was not this that stopped the Lord dead in his tracks, it was her face.

Her chocolate gazed at him curiously, as if she was trying to place his face in her mind. Her heart-shaped face tilted slightly to the side only emphasizing her confusion. Her plump lips were pursed in thought as her raven black locks fell delicately about her face. _Kagome…_the Lord nearly fell to his knees seeing the woman he had so adamantly sought after and had given up on. His beast was howling in triumph; however the Lord was wary to rejoice, for the girl showed no recognition in her features.

Slowly he altered his path and approached her, trying to remain calm when her expression did not change. "Miko, you know this Sesshomaru?" He waited with bated breath for her reply, eager to see exactly what she was thinking.

"You look familiar, my Lord, but I am sure we have never met." He nearly howled his frustration to the sky, would the kami's be so cruel as to grant him his one wish only to have her have no recollection of him? Was he doomed to live his life with a mate who knew nothing of him? His beast could not be bothered with such questions, simply rejoicing at her presence. "I'm sorry for being unable to recognize you, my Lord. However, these village people recently discovered me in the forest nearby. I have no recollection of how I came to be here prior to waking in the bed of a kindly woman who nursed me to health. They call me Mumei."

He gritted his teeth, trying to conceal his anger. "Kagome, that is your name." At her startled look he continued, "We have much to discuss, miko, much of it concerning how you came to be in this village."

After a moment, he barely heard her whisper, "Sesshomaru." He tried to contain his joy, unwilling to startle the confused girl before him. At his nod and sweep of his arm, she preceded him into the woods beyond the outskirts of the village, intent upon privacy to discuss these important matters.

After a few moments of walking in tense silence they stopped in a small clearing. She was facing away from him, afraid to look upon this creature who she felt that she knew but had no memory of ever meeting. Her heart was telling her to run to him and bury her face against his hard chest and take the comfort that he was offering, but her logical mind was telling her that this man, this _demon_ was a stranger and until proven otherwise could not be trusted.

She gathered as much courage as she could and turned, staring the Lord down, "Who exactly are you?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I hope you enjoyed this!!!! Thank you again to my wonderful beta…who's having story withdrawals!

Read and review, please and thank you!


	13. Chapter 13

A/N So I'm really excited, because I got snowed in today…which means that there's no excuse for me not busting out the last part to this story….!!! Yay! Hahah…I hope you guys enjoy! It's been a pleasure to write this story and thank you so much to those of you that reviewed!

Enjoy!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"_Who exactly are you?"_

The question bounced around his mind, no less shocking than the first time it was heard. How would he go about approaching that question? He couldn't just lay it all out there, what if she rejected him? What if she didn't believe him? What if she was afraid of him? So many questions bouncing around, toying with him mind, making his beast whimper in emotional pain, all of them overlaid with that one question. _Who exactly are you?_

Lord Sesshomaru was not good with words; he had sealed himself and his emotions off for too long to know how to respond to her question. It was not his strength to be able to describe certain things, and this most definitely resided in the category of indescribable. He needed to try though, everything was riding on whether or not he was capable of winning her back. She was still his mate, which he could clearly see from the ancient looking scar upon her neck, and he still needed her, would always need her.

"Miko, you have heard of this Sesshomaru, have you not?" Wincing internally at how cold his voice had come out, he couldn't help but wonder if he was simply digging himself a deeper hole. At her nod, he continued, "Have you not heard of an evil hanyou, Naraku?"

"I-I have heard stories, m'lord. But the hanyou is long since dead. The villagers speak of a group of beings; demon, half-demon, human, and a miko who defeated him. They say that the miko perished in the fight, but not before ridding this world of the evil creature." She stumbled to a halt, not seeing where this had any connection with her. What grated on her nerves the most was that she had adopted the speech of the villagers. When she had been found her mannerisms were so different from those of the people around her that she changed everything about herself to fit in. But when talking to this demon, this Lord, she felt like he knew she didn't normally behave so…regally.

"The miko that you speak of, her name was Kagome." Praying that the girl in front of him saw the connection he could not help but wonder if he was doomed to a life where his mate did not know him, did not know of his true form. The only way she would believe him would be to remember everything herself, but he did not know if such a feat were possible. This whole situation was peculiar and unusual and therefore he had no way to know if he was doing anything right.

"That is the name that you called me by, m'lord." Her eyes widened as shock set in, "You don't mean- there's no way! I can't possibly be that girl. I'm alive!" As much as her logical mind was telling her that this was impossible, that there was no way for this whole scenario to be true, she felt like he was telling her the truth. "How can that be? Who _are _you?"

There was that question again, the one that he did not know how to answer; the one that she had to feel and remember herself. He noticed that when she had become flustered she spoke as she once had, different from the people of these times and heatedly without the respect she had shown before. He cherished the peculiar trait, for it showed that she was still the same woman that she was, minus a few memories.

She raised her chin defiantly, "I don't believe you! You came here to trick me! I don't know why but I don't like it, not one bit! Who do you think you are?"

"Kagome-"

"STOP calling me that! My name is not Kagome! I don't know who you speak of, but she's not me! What you speak of is impossible; the dead cannot be brought back to life. Once you are dead, you stay dead no matter how much it may be wished otherwise."

His temper was flaring, hearing her raise her voice and deny everything that his heart swore was true proved to be too much for Sesshomaru. Approaching the girl quickly he noted how she took a step back, matching each of his stalking steps with a mirrored retreat. He kept this up until she pressed herself back against a tree, unable to find any means of escape from his dominating presence. She sensed his aura flare seductively at her predicament, but as confused as she was she could not find it in her to be afraid.

"Kagome, I shall call you such because it is your name. You must remember, you must." His voice had taken a desperation that few had ever bared witness too, most of them dead by now. "You must remember Kagome, my Kagome. There is no other way but for you to remember." His presence swirled around her, engulfing her in its potency. Her head was swimming, overwhelmed as his body surrounded hers, pinning her gently to the tree that was more holding her up now than anything else. She looked up into his golden eyes, eyes that looked so _familiar_, yet the recognition seemed to be coming from a hazy dream where she could not recall exactly what had happened, only that it was important. From the look in this demon's eyes, it was very important that she remember.

"I don't know what you are talking about. I'm sorry but I do-" He never let her finished as his lips descended on hers. He was unable to reign himself in anymore, his beast was desperate for a taste of her after so long apart and by the Kami's she tasted just as she had before death, sweet and spicy. Her body tensed and then relaxed in his hold as he sealed his lips to hers, seeking and delving into her delicious cavern, needing more. Her body responded though her mind was still confused, she wrapped her arms around his neck, tangling her dainty fingers in his silky hair, pulling him closer.

He groaned and pulled away from her mouth, leaving a trail of kisses along her jaw. He moved to her ear tracing the shell with his tongue, teasingly before moving down the arch of her neck. She tilted her head, giving him better access and subtly showing her submission, though she did not know what she was doing. His beast purred in approval, content to know that although her memories escaped her she still knew him, knew who he was. He nipped his way down her neck and let his fang graze across the mark that he had given her so many moons ago.

She stiffened as her powers flared, lighting the clearing in a light pinkish-purple light, illuminating the erotic image of the pair pressed together tightly. He felt her powers tingle along his skin and felt the changes within her as something happened, he could not name what. Her head fell onto his shoulder as if it was too heavy for her to hold up any longer and he panicked, his beast whimpering to help her, though he knew not what to do. Slowly the light dimmed, leaving them panting heavily, unsure of what to do.

Kagome was dazed. One minute she was getting ravished by a handsome demon Lord and the next her powers grew out of control and pictures, of herself and others flashed through her mind. When she though more about it, she realized that she could recall the name of every being in every image; her memories! Those were her memories? They had to be, there was no other explanation for the feeling of rightness to filter through her being after so long of feeling incomplete. She lifted her head and looked up into the eyes of the Youkai Lord, Sesshomaru…her _mate_.

_Well that makes some more sense! _Her mind was stilling mulling over what had happened, trying to reason through everything all the while knowing that it was true. _No wonder he didn't answer me when I asked him who he was! And here I thought he was just some crazy demon pervert!_ She gazed into his questioning eyes, and smiled, feeling a surge of warmth at the relief that flickered across his face.

"I never told you, before it all happened, that I love you too, Sesshomaru." She laughed loudly as his face lit up and he grasped her tightly in his arms and twirled in a very un-Sesshomaru like manner. She loved that she could invoke these actions from him, actions that he never would have even dreamt about before her. He set her down once again and proceeded to show her just how much he missed her.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

~Epilogue~

The small breeze travelled across the ground of the shrine, setting the blades of glass fluttering and the leaves of the great tree making the rippling sounds of summer. She enjoyed this time of year the most, it was so free and warm, not to mention it was the same time when her mate had found her once again. Kagome smiled and leaned against the pillar outside the entry of her home, looking over the grounds and at the shrine house that had been the catalyst to where she was now. She traced her hands over her bulging belly, and cooed softly at the being she knew was growing within her. She hoped it was a girl this time, someone she could spoil and protect.

She heard the door click closed softly behind her and she turned, smiling brightly at her mate. He still stood well over 6 feet, monstrous compared to her shorter form that still had not changed over the years. She had learned just after he had found her again that their mating would keep her alive, to stay with him forever until one of them died, and at this point it looked as if the only way that would happen is if one of them were killed. She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his firm body, making room for the precious cargo that she carried. She smiled wider as he wrapped one arm around her shoulders and placed the other on her stomach, stroking softly.

"Where are Shippo and Rin?" Like the mating between Kagome and her Youkai, Shippo and Rin had fallen for each other, much to the surprise and joy of their surrogate parents. With everyday Rin grew older, closer to the death that Sesshomaru dreaded, but the announcement had filled him with relief as his daughter, as he thought of her now, would never have to leave this world through the old age of her species. "They knew they were supposed to be here at 6. Dinner is in fifteen minutes!"

"Hush, my mate. They have their own little ones to care for now, remember? Give them time, they're adjusting." He smiled down at her, an action that over time had become more frequent when he realized that when he smiled at her, her face would light up in a way that sent a surge of warmth through his being.

It had been years since they had heard from Inuyasha, the last time they had received word he had been travelling through Africa, seeking out others such as himself to integrate into human society without being killed off. But a week ago he had contacted them, stating that he wished to sit down and catch up to which Kagome had planned a massive dinner with her family, much to her mate's chagrin. Through the excitement of seeing her friend again, Kagome still felt the pang of loss about Sango and Miroku, both of which had passed when their mortal time drew to an end. They had married and had many children to which to pass their legacy, children that Kagome had checked up on and taken care of through the years.

It was because of this connection that it came as a huge surprise when suddenly the surname Higurashi had entered into Sango and Miroku's family tree. Kagome's great great grandfather had married one of her friend's descendents, filling Kagome with joy at knowing that she always carried a part of Sango and Miroku with her, knowing that because of them she was here.

Shortly after the deaths of her friends, Kagome had become pregnant with her first pup, Masaki. In the age of demons he was roughly 425 years old but in human standards he looked to be about twenty. She recalled fondly her pup who looked to be a mini-Sesshomaru, much to the delight of her over confident mate. He chose to wear his silver hair shorter and instead of two stripes across his cheeks he only had one. At the time they thought nothing of it, but with time found out that because of her miko powers their pups would always be full-demon instead of hanyou.

Their second child came shortly after the first was born, they named him Ryou. This pup resembled Kagome, from her raven locks to her chocolate eyes and lightly tanned skin. The brothers, although around the same age, were completely different in character, where Masaki was loud and rambunctious; Ryou was quiet and preferred a good book to the sports that Masaki favored. Sesshomaru and Kagome loved their children fiercely, Shippo and Rin included. Although the family had expanded over time they all kept very close together and remained in touch, even after centuries of time together. Masaki and Ryou had yet to mature enough to start seeking a mate, but Rin and Shippo had just birthed their first pup, a granddaughter that Kagome was eager to spoil, Ikumi.

The entire family was eager as Kagome was once again pregnant, her boys and her mate were overjoyed at the news that another member would be joining their large family. Kagome really hoped it was a girl, while she was proud that she could give Sesshomaru strong sons she wished for a little girl to coddle, and sometimes all the testosterone was overwhelming. She smiled up at her mate, eager to continue their family.

He smiled down at her, the gentle look on his face making her heart flutter like a butterfly in her chest, "I love you, mate."

She smiled brightly up at him, "And I you, forever and always."

Sometimes an unexpected twist in reality can be the best thing that has ever happened to you.

~*Fin*~

Okay….so I WAS gonna do a lemon. Was being the key word, but I didn't wanna ruin such a sweet moment with sex. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and this story. ^_^ thank you all for your continued support and encouragement. I'll be lurking around here for quite some time and I'm sure I'll come out with more stories in the future, just give me some time to think of a storyline.

MUCH LOVE!!!!!

-yw


End file.
